copie 


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ibie  Dictionarii 


THE  «I  AM 

"  Before  Abraham  -was,  I  am."— John  8. 
68. 
"  I  am  the  Light  of  the  world."— John 

Q    12 

' "  I  am  the  Door."— John  10.  7. 

"  I  am  the  Way,  and  the  Truth,  and  the 
Life."— John  14.  6. 

"  I  am  the  living  Bread." — John  6.  51. 

"  I  am  the  Breadof  Life."— John  6.35, 48. 

"  I  am  the  true  Vine."— John  15.  1. 

"I  am  the  good  Shepherd."— John  10. 
11, 14. 

"lam the  Resurrection  and  the  Life."— 
John  11.  :i5. 


'  OF  JESUS. 

"  I  am  with  you  alway."— Mat.  28.  20. 

•'  I  am  with  thee."— Acts  18.  10. 

"  There  am  1  in  the  midst  of  them."— - 
Mat.  18.  20. 

"  I  am  Alpha  and  Omega,  the  beginning 
and  the  ending."— Rev.  1.  8. 

"  1  am  the  first  and  the  last."— Rev.  1. 17. 

"  I  am  from  above."  "  I  am  not  of  this 
world."— John  8.  23. 

*'  I  am  he  that  liveth."— Rev.  1. 18. 

*'  1  am  Jesus  whom  thou  persecutest."— 
Acts  9.  5. 

"Be  with  me  where  I  am."— John  17. 
24. 


THE  "ME"  OF  JESUS. 


"  Ye  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  Me." 
—John  14.  1. 

"All  things  are  delivered  unto  Me." — 
Mat.  11.  27. 


"  He  that  abideth  in  Me  and  I  in  him."- 
John  15.  5,  7. 

"  Apart  from  Me  ye  can  do  nothing."- 
John  15.  6. 


■JSC*"''^ 


^l  \\Lt  Ihwta^tai  ^ 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


%/: 


** 


% 


Dwisioj? 


Section 


Wo, 


BELIEVERS  SAVED. 


"  He  that  believeth  on  me  hath  everlast- 
ing life."— John  6.  47.  "  I  give  unto  them 
eternal  life  and  they  shall  never'perish." 
— John  10.  28.  "  Because  I  live,  ye  shall 
live  also."— John  14.  19;  IL  26. 

"  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  ev- 
erlasting life."— John  3. 16,  36.  "And  shall 
not  come  into  condemnation ;  but  is  passed 
from  death  unto  life."— John  5.  24. 

•'  Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ  is  born  of  God  "—1  John  5. 1.  '"  Be- 
loved, now  are  we  the  sons  of  God."— 1 
John  3.  2.  "We  know  that  we  have 
passed  from  death  unto  life."  —  1  John 
3.14. 


"  And  this  is  the  record,  that  God  hath 
given  to  us  eternal  life."  — "  These  things 
Lave  I  written  unto  you  that  believe  on 
the  name  of  the  Son  of  God;  that  ye  may 
know  that  ye  have  eternal  life."— 1  John 
5.  10-13. 

"  Giving  thanks  unto  the  Father,  which 
hath  made  us  meet  to  be  partakers  of  the 
inheritance  of  the  saints  in  light;  who 
hath  delivered  us  from  the  power  of  dark- 
ness, and  hath  translated  us  into  the  king- 
dom of  his  dear  Son;  in  whom  we  have 
redemption  through  his  blood,  even  the 
forgiveness  of  sins."— Col.  1. 12— 14.— Rom. 
8.  1,  38,  39;  5.  1. 


PEOPLE'S 
DICTIONARY  OF  THE   BIBLE 


DESCRIBING 


PERSONS,  PLACES,  COUNTRIES,  CUSTOMS,  BIRDS,  ANIMALS, 

TREES,    PLANTS,    BOOKS,    EVENTS,    AND    MANY 

OTHER  THINGS  IN  HOLY  SCRIPTURE. 


EDITEDB^ 

EDWIlSr  W.  EICE,  D.  D., 

Author  of  Commentaries  on  Jfatthew,  Mark,  Luke,  John  and  Acts,  "  Our  Sixty-Six 
Sacred  Books,"  etc.,  etc. 


REVISED  EDITI0N~2UTH  THOUSAND. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

THE  AMERICAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  UNION, 

1122  CHESTNUT  STREET 


Copyright  bj"-  The  American  Sunday-School  Union,  1893. 
Copyright  by  The  American  Sdnday-School  Union,  1904. 


PREFACE. 


This  work  has  been  prepared  for  the  multitude  who  want  a  comprehensive, 
concise,  handy  Dictionary  of  the  Bible. 

Bulky,  learned,  expensive,  denominational,  controversial,  and  theological 
dictionaries  are  abundant.  But  Bible  readers,  lay  missionaries,  members  of 
Christian  Endeavor  Societies,  guilds,  leagues,  King's  Daughters,  Sunday-schools 
and  other  organizations  helpful  to  the  young  are  often  at  a  loss  in  their  labors, 
from  the  lack  of  an  inexpensive  Bible  Dictionary  fairly  abreast  of  present 
Biblical  Scholarship,  and  free  from  denominational  bias,  technical  theological 
terms,  unsound  teachings,  and  lengthy  discussions — a  dictionary  for  handy  and 
quick  reference. 

This  work  is  for  them. 

Some  Christian  friends  who  felt  the  need  of  such  a  work,  urged  the  Editor  to 
prepare  it,  and  generously  provided  the  funds  to  pay  the  cost  of  its  preparation 
and  donated  the  plates  to  the  American  Sunday-School  Union,  so  that  this  Dic- 
tionary might  be  sold  at  a  price  that  would  encourage  a  large  distribution  of  it, 
and  put  it  within  the  reach  of  all. 

The  following  principles  have  guided  in  the  preparation  of  the  work  : 

1.  To  present  the  re"Sults  of  the  best  scholarly  information  in  respect  to 
persons,  places,  customs,  and  subjects  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  in  alphabetical 
order  and  in  a  simple  and  concise  style. 

2.  To  define  such  words  and  topics  only  as  are  found  in  the  English  Bible, 
and  to  give  an  explanation  of  any  peculiar  use  or  meaning  of  them. 

3.  To  admit  no  name  or  word,  about  which  nothing  is  known  except  the  mere 
mention  of  it  in  the  Bible. 

4.  Carefully  to  exclude  whatever  wofild  be  regarded  as  sectarian  or  denomina- 
tional by  any  body  of  Evangelical  Christians.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  this 
did  not  exclude  any  Bible  terms. 

5.  To  give  the  pronunciation  and  meaning  of  names  and  titles. 
Special  attention  has  been  given  to  some  marked  fulfilments  of  prophecy. 
The  Appendix  contains  a  list  of  parables  and  miracles  in  the  Bible,  tables  of 

time,  weights,  measures,  distances,  and  moneys,  a  list  of  obsolete  words  found 
in  the  Authorized  Version,  and  of  the  titles  and  names  of  Christ,  a  list  of  sta- 
tions in  the  Journey ings  of  Israel,  and  valuable  Chronological  tables. 

The  Editor  has  made  free  use  especially  of  the  geographical  articles  which  he 
contributed  to  Schafi''s  "Dictionary  of  the  Bible."    Moreover,  the  standard 


Viii  PREFACE. 

works  of  Ayre,  Bastow,  Cassell,  Fairbairn,  Fausset,  Kitto  and  Smith,  the  latest 
Cyclopaedias,  and  the  recent  voluminous  reports  aud  works  on  Palestinian, 
Egyptian  and  Assyrian  exploration,  have  all  been  drawn  upon  for  material, 
to  bring  the  information  in  this  work  up  to  date. 

The  Rev.  Edward  K.  Tullidge  aided  in  gathering  the  material,  and  in  fixing 
the  proportionate  length  of  the  articles;  Samuel  B,  Schieffelin  also  prepared 
several  of  the  articles ;  Martin  P.  Rice,  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
verified  the  references  to  Scripture,  and  the  pronunciation  of  proper  names;  the 
Rev.  Moseley  H.  Williams  made  valuable  suggestions  while  the  work  was 
in  preparation  ;  Mr.  William  H.  Hirst  carefully  read  the  proofs,  and  the 
entire  material  was  thoroughly  revised  by  the  Editor,  so  that  the  latest  and 
best  results  of  sound  Biblical  knowledge  might  be  included  for  the  use  of  the 
ordinary  reader. 

The  Dictionary  is  sent  forth  in  the  Divine  Master's  name,  with  the  earnest 
hope  that  it  may  be  found  useful  to  the  millions  of  English-speaking  peoples 
who  love  and  accept  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  the  authoritative  word  of  God. 

May,  1893.  EDWIN  W.  RiCE. 


PREFACE 

TO    THE   REVISED    EDITION 


The  cordial  reception  given  to  this  concise  little  dictionary  has  led  the 
author  carefully  to  revise  the  work.  Tiie  results  of  explorations  and  researches 
Ih  Bible  lands  and  literature  during  the  past  ten  years  have  been  examined, 
and  any  new  light  attained,  has  been  put  before  the  student.  The  remarkable 
discoveries  in  Assyria  and  Egypt  have  tended  to  place  the  dawn  of  recorded 
history  and  literature  at  a  much  earlier  date  than  formerly,  and  at  the  same 
time  have  brought  new  evidences  to  confirm  the  general  trustwortliiness  of  the 
Sacred  Scriptures.  With  renewed  hope,  therefore,  this  little  book  is  again 
sent  forth  to  aid  young  readers  to  a  better  interpretation  of  God's  Word. 

Edwin  W^  Kice. 

June,  1904. 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY  OF  THE  BIBLE. 


Explanations :— A.  V.=Authorized  Version;  R.  V.— Revised  Version;  Sept.— Septua- 
gint,  or  Greek  Version  of  tiie  Old  Testament ;  d,  as  in  far;  d,  as  in  care;  e,  as  in  there; 
e,  as  in  term ;  i,  as  in  pique ;  6,  as  in  for  ;  do,  as  in  food;  66,  as  infOot ;  &,  as  in  furl;  the 
other  abbreviations  are  self-explanatory. 


Aaron  {ar'on  or  d'ron).  The  name,  if 
of  Hebrew  oiigin,  means  enlightened.  Ac- 
cording to  Jerome,  it  means  mountain  of 
strength.  The  son  of  Amram  and  Joche- 
bed,  of  the  tribe  of  Levi.  He  was  three 
years  older  than  his  brother  Moses.  Ex. 
6  :  20 ;  7:7.  Aaron  was  noted  for  his  elo- 
quence, and  was  appointed  by  Jehovah 
to  speak  for  Moses  in  the  court  of  Pha- 
raoh. Ex.  4  :  14-16.  He  aided  Moses  in 
leading  the  Hebrews  out  of  Egj^pt ;  and  was 
consecrated  the  first  high  priest  of  the 
Hebrew  nation.  Ex.  7:1-10;  28  : 1-43 ;  Lev. 
8  : 1-36.  He  was  a  man  of  great  devotion ; 
but,  from  want  of  firmness,  he  sometimes 
fell  into  grievous  sins.  While  Moses  was 
absent  in  Mount  Sinai  receiving  the  law, 
Aaron  weakly  yielded  to  the  people's  de- 
mand to  have  some  image  of  a  deity  for 
them  to  worship.  The  image  he  made  was 
a  golden  calf,  after  the  form  of  the  EgA'ptian 
Apis  or  Mnevis.  Ex.  32  : 1-35;  Ps.  106  :  19, 
20.  Aaron  joined  Miriam,  liis  sister,  in  se- 
dition against  Moses,  Num.  12  : 1-12,  and, 
with  Moses,  neglected  to  acknowledge  the 
power  of  God  at  Kadesh.  For  this  sin  he 
was  denied  the  privilege  of  entering  the 
promised  land.  Num.  20:12-24.  While th^ 
Hebrews  were  encamped  at  Moserah,  in  the 
fortieth  year  after  leaving  Egypt,  Aaron,  at 
the  divine  command,  ascended  Mount  Hor 
and  died,  at  the  age  of  123  vears.  Num. 
20  :  25-29 ;  Deut.  10  :  6.  The  sons  and  de- 
scendants of  Aaron  ser\'ed  as  priests  at  the 
sanctuary;  while  the  other  famihes  of  the 
tribe  of  Levi  perfoiTned  those  rehgious 
duties  which  were  of  an  inferior  kind. 
Num.  4 ;  15,  16,  24.  Aaron  is  called  the 
"saint  of  the  Lord"  with  reference  to  his 
official  character,  Ps.  106  :  16,  but,  as  the 
most  superficial  study  of  his  life  shows,  he 
had  many  faults.  Yet  the  people  loved 
him,  and  the  mourning  over  his  death, 
which  lasted  30  days,  Num.  20  :  28,  was 
sincere.  One  of  the 'fasts  of  later  Judaism 
was  held  in  his  memorj%  on  the  first  day  of 
the  fifth  month,  Ab,  our  July  or  August. 

Aaron  married  Ehsheba,  daughter  of 
Araminadab,  probably  a  prince  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  and  had  four  sons,  Nadab, 
Abihu,  Eleazar  and  Ithamar.  Ex.  6  :  23; 
Num.  1:7.  The  Jewish  priesthood  began 
in  the  family  of  Aaron  and  remained  in  its 
possession,  though  not  uninterruptedly,  in 
the  line  of  Eleazar ;  it  passed  into  the  fam- 
ily of  Ithamar,  the  brother  of  Eleazar,  in 
the  person  of  Eli ;  but,  in  consequence  of 
the  wickedness  of  EU's  sons,  God  declared 
that  it  should  be  taken  from  liis  fiimily,  1 
Sam.  2  :  30,  and  this  prophecy  was  fulfilled 
in  the  time  of  Solomon,  who  took  the 
priesthood  from  Abiathar  and  restored  it  to 
Zadok,  of  the  Une  of  Eleazar.    1  Kings  2 :  27. 


Aaronites  {dr'on-Ues  or  d'ron-T/es).  1 
Chron.  12  :  27.  Levites  of  the  family  of 
Aaron:  the  priests  who  served  the  sanc- 
tuary. Eleazar,  Aaron's  son,  was  their 
chief    Num.  4  :  16. 

Abaddon,  or  Apollyon  (a-bud'ddn  or 
a-pol'ydn).  The  former  name  is  Hebrew  and 
the  latter  Greek,  and  both  signify  the 
dedroyer.  Job  31  :  12  ;  Rev.  9  :  11.  He  is 
the  same  as  the  "  angel  of  the  abyss,"  that 
is,  the  angel  of  death,  or  the  destroying 
angel.  Ps.  78  :  49.  Abaddon  frequently 
occurs  in  the  Hebrew,  and  is  translated 
"  destruction,"  meaning  often  the  world 
of  the  dead.  Job  26  : 6 ;  28  :  22 ;  Ps.  88  :  11 ; 
Prov.  15 :  11. 

Abana  idh'a-nah  or  a-bd'nah),  stony.  The 
Hebrew  and  EngUsh  marginal  reading  is 
"Amanah,"  meaning  "perennial;"  this 
may  be  the  correct  form.  It  is  the  same 
as  the  Greek  "Chrysorrhoas,"  or  "golden 
river,"  and  the  modern  "  Barada,"  meaning 
"  cold."  A  river  of  Damascus,  one  of  those 
which  Naaman,  in  his  pride,  preferred  to 
the  waters  of  Israel.  2  Kings  5:12.  It  rises 
in  the  beautiful  plain  of  Zebeduny,  issuing 
from  a  httle  lake,  and  receiving  in  "its  course 
the  waters  of  two  or  three  fountains.  Quit- 
ting this  plain,  the  river  dashes  over  a  cUff, 
30  feet  high,  runs  through  a  magnificent 
ravine,  and  is  afterwards  joined  by  the 
stream  from  'Ain  Fijeh,  one  of  the  largest 
springs  in  Syria.  Having  emerged  from  the 
mountains  into  the  plains  of  Damascus,  it 
flows  through  orchards  and  meadows  till 
it  enters  the  city,  and  passing  through  it, 
falls  finally  into  a  marshy  lake,  15  or  20 
miles  below.  At  its  rise  the  river  is  3343  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  1149  above  Damascus, 
which  is  distant  from  the  source  about  22 
miles.  The  Abana  waters  about  800  square 
miles  of  territory,  and  it  is  calculated  that 
14  villages  and  150,000  souls  depend  on  it 
for  their  water  supply.  Damascus  is  thus 
made,  though  on  the  edge  of  a  desert,  one  of 
the  lovehest  spots  in  the  world.  The  streams 
of  Israel,  on  the  other  hand,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Jordan,  are  nearly  diy  the  greater 
part  of  the  year,  and,  running  in  deep  and 
locky  channels,  give  but  partial  fertihty  to 
the  land  through  which  they  flow,  this 
may  well  account  for  the  question  of  Naa- 
man the  Syrian:  "Are  not  Abana  and 
Pharphar,  rivers  of  Damascus,  better  than 
all  the  waters  of  Israel  ?  "  2  Kings  5  :  12. 

Abarim  {ab'a-rlm  or  a-bd'rim),  mountains 
beyond,  or  of  the  fords,  a  range  of  mountains 
east  of  the  river  Jordan,  in  the  land  of 
Moab,  opposite  Jericho.  Num.  27  :  12 ;  33  : 
47 ;  Deut.  32  :  49,  Nebo,  Peor,  and  Pi.sgah 
belong  to  this  range.  In  Jer.  22  :  20  the 
word  is  translated  "passages"  in  the  Au- 
thorized Version,  but  the  Revised  Version 
reads  Abarim. 

Jje-abarim  in  Num.  21 :  U  means  heaps 


ABBA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ABIATHAR 


or  ruins  of  Abarim,  and  was  near  the  same 
range. 

\^^ab{ab'bah),  a  Chaldee  word  signifying 


father  (Hebrew  ab),  easily  pronounced  by 
infant  children,  and  expressing  the  pecu- 
liar tenderness,  lamiliaritv,  and  confidence 
of  the  love  between  parent  and  child. 
Mark  14  :  36 ;  Rom.  8 :  15 ;  Gal.  4  : 6.  Luther 
translated  Abba,  Pater,  "Abba,  dear  Fa- 
ther." 

Abdon  {ab'ddn),  servile.    1.  A  Levitical 
city  in  Asher.    Josh.  21 :  30 ;  1  C'hron.  6  :  74. 

2.  The  tenth  judue  of  Israel,  Judg.  12  ;  13, 15, 
probably  the  same  as  Bedan,  1  Sam.  12  :  11, 
son  of  Hillel,  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim.  He 
succeeded  Elon,  and  judged  Israel  eight 
years.  His  rule  was  a  peaceful  one,  as  no 
oppression  of  Israel  during  his  time  is  men- 
tioned. The  record  that  he  had  4U  sons  and 
30  nephews  (or  rather  grandsons)  who  rode 
on  young  asses,  imphes  their  high  dignity 
and   consequence:   comp.  Judg.   6:9    10 

3.  Also  two  £enjamites.  1  Chron.  8 : 2?,,  30  • 
9  :  36.  4.  A  son  of  Micah.  2  Chron.  34  :  20 
See  Achbor. 

Abednego  {a-bed'ne-(io),servantofNego  or 
^ebo,  u  Chaldee  name  giyen  to  Azariah,  one 
of  the  three  captive  young  princes  of  .Judah, 
who  were  Daniel's  companions  at  the  court 
of  the  king  of  Babylon.  Dan.  1 : 7.  Their 
virtue,  wisdom,  and  pietv  secured  their  pro- 
motion at  court,  Dan.  1 : 3-19 ;  2  :  17-49 ;  and 
their  firmness  in  witnessing  for  God  ainong 
idolaters,  wiih  their  dehverance  from  the 
fieiy  furnace  by  Jehovah,  led  many  to  ac- 
knowledge the  true  God,  and  rendered 
these  pious  youths  forever  illustrious,  Dan. 
3;  Heb.  11:34. 

Abel  (a'bel),  vapor.  Gen.  4:2,  was  the 
second  son  of  Adam  and  Eve,  so  called 
perhaps  from  the  shortness  of  his  life,  as  he 
was  murdered  by  Cain.  Hence  to  Eve 
the  hfe  of  Abel  seemed  but  "a  vapour, 
that  appeareth  for  a  httle  time,  and  then 
vani.sheth  away."  Jas.  4  :  14.  Abel  was 
occupied  as  a  keeper  or  feeder  of  sheep ; 
and  in  process  of  time  brought  of  the 
firsthngs,  or  first-fruits  of  his  flock,  an  offer- 
ing unto  the  Lord  It  is  supposed  that 
besides  a  thank-offering,  Abel  brought  a 
sin-offering,  and  thus  showed  his  sense  of 
sin,  as  well  as  his  faith  in  a  promised  Sa- 
viour. He  did  it  by  fiiith,  Heb.  11  •  4 
founded  no  doubt  upon  some  revelation 
from  God.  His  offering  was  a  type  of  Christ, 
the  "Lamb  slain  from  the  foundarion  of 
the  world."  Rev.  13  : 8 ;  5  : 6, 12 ;  1:5:  John 
1:29  "The  Lord  had  respect  unto  Abel 
and  his  offering."  Gen.  4:4,  and  accepted 
It.  Heb.  11 : 4.  Not  so  with  Cain.  Either 
nis  sacrifice,  or  the  manner  of  presenting  it 
was  offensive  to  God,  and  the  offering  was 
rejected.  1  John  3:12.  Cain  was  angrv, 
and  filled  with  envy,  and  when  he  and  Ins 
brotber  were  in  the  field  together,  he  took 
his  brother's  Ufe.  Gen.  4  : 3-8.  Our  Saviour 
distinguishes  Abel  by  the  title  righteous 
Matt.  23  :  35.  He  is  also  one  of  the  faithful 
•  elders  mentioned  in  the  epistle  to  the 
Hebrews,  ch.  11 :  4,  and  is  justly  called  the 
first  martyr. 

Abel,  meadoiv,  grassy  plain,  as  below.    A 
name  prefix'^d  to  several  places.    Instead 
10 


of  "  the  great  stone  of  Abel,"  in  1  Sam.  6  :  18, 
the  Septuagint,  and  Chaldee  versions,  and 
some  Hebrew  manuscripis,  read  "the  great 
stone ;  "  as  in  tiie  margin,  and  the  ]4lh  and 
15th  verses.  Most  Ukely  this  "great  stone " 
was  a  boundary  mark,  or  an  ancient  mon- 
ument, in  Bethshemesh,  on  the  confines  of 
Judah,  Dan,  and  Phihstia. 

Abel  -  beth  -  Maachah  (d'bil-bcth-ma'a- 
kah),  meadoiv  of  the  house  of  oppression,  2 
kings  15:29,  a  town  in  the  norm  of  Pales- 
tine near  Ctiesarea-Philippi.  It  was  at- 
tacked by  Joab,  2  Sam.  20  :  14. 15 ;  by  Ben- 
hadad,  1  Kings  15:20;  and  by  Tiglath-Pi- 
leser,  2Kiiigsl5:29. 

Abel -Maim  {d'bel-may'im),  meadoiv  of 
vutcrs.  2  Chron.  16  : 4.  Anothei  name  for 
Abel-beth-Maachah. 

Abel-Meholab  (a'bel-me-ho'lah).  meadoiv 
of  the  dance.  Judg.  7:22.  A  town  in  the 
plain  of  Jordan,  distinguished  as  the  home 
of  EUsha.    1  Kings  4  :  12 ;  19  :  16. 

A^-iel-Mixr&imid'bel-m^-ray'im), meadow 
ofEgyj)L  Gen.  50  :  10,  11.  The  place  where 
Joseph  and  his  company  halted  seven  days 
in  passing  from  Egypt  to  Canaan  to  bury 
Jacob.  It  was  "  beyond  "—that  is,  west  of, 
the  Jordan,  as  the  writer  was  on  the  east 
side.    Some  think  it  was  near  Hebron. 

Abel-Shittim,  or  Shittim  (a'bcl-dut-tim), 
meadoiv  of  the  acacias,  ^um.  33  :  49 ;  25  : 1. 
A  town  six  or  seven  miles  distant  from  the 
east  bank  of  the  Jordan,  opposite  to  Jericho. 
It  was  the  last  encampment  of  the  Israel- 
ites on  that  side  of  the  river.  It  was  at  this 
place  that  the  Israehtes  fell  into  the  gross- 
est idolatry,  for  which  they  were  visited 
with  a  desolating  plague  which  destroyed 
24,000  people.  Num.  25  : 1 ;  Micah  6  : 5.  the 
spies  whom  Joshua  sent  to  Jericho  went 
from  Shittim.    Josh.  2 : 1. 

Abi  (d'bl),  father,  progenitor,  mother  of 
King  Hezekiah,  2  Kings  18:2;  written 
Abyali  in  2  Chron.  29  : 1. 

Abia,  Abiah,  or  Abijah  {d-bl'ah  or 
d-bi'jah),  whose  father  is  Jehovali.  1.  Son 
of  Becher,  the  son  of  Benjamin.  1  Chron. 
7  : 8.  2.  ^^■ife  of  Hezron.  1  Chron.  2  :  24  3 
Second  son  of  Samuel.  1  Sam.  8:2.  4.  The 
son  of  Rehoboam.  1  Chron.  3  :  10 ;  Matt.  1  : 7. 
See  Abijah,  2.  5.  Mother  of  King  Heze- 
kiah.   Abi.    6.  Same  as  Ahyah,  3. 

Abia,  course  of.  Luke  1:5.  In  1 
Chron.  24  we  have  an  account  of  the 
division  of  the  priests  into  twenty-four 
classes,  courses,  or  orders,  who  ministered 
at  the  altar  in  rotation.  The  counses  were 
distinguished  by  the  name  of  the  most 
prominent  member  of  tlie  family  from 
which  the  course  was  taken.  The" eighth 
of  these  courses  fell  to  the  family  of  Abia 
or  Abijah;  and  to  this  cour.se  belonged 
Zacharias,  the  fjither  of  John  the  Baptist. 

Abiathar  {a-hi'a-ihar),  father  of  ahim- 
dance,  i.  e.,  liberal.  Tenth  high  priest  and  . 
descendant  of  Levi  through  Eli.  Abiathar 
was  the  only  one  of  all  the  sons  of  Ahim- 
elech  the  high  priest  who  escaped  the 
slaughter  inflicted  upon  his  father's  house 
by  Saul,  in  revenge  for  his  having  inquired 
of  the  Lord  for  David  and  given  him  the 
shewbread  to  eat.  1  Sam.  22  :  21-23.  Abi- 
athar having  become  high  priest  fled  to 


ABIB 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ABIMELECH 


David,  and  was  thus  enabled  to  inquire  of 
the  Lord  for  him.  1  Sam.  23:9;  3U  :  7 :  2 
Sam.  2:1;  5  :  19,  etc.  He  adhered  to  Da- 
vid in  his  wanderings  while  pursued  by 
Saul;  he  was  with  him  while  he  reigned 
in  Hebron,  and  afterwards  in  Jerusalem. 
2  Sam.  2 : 1-3.  He  continued  faithful  to 
him  in  Absalom's  rebelUon.  2  Sam.  15  :  24, 
29,  35,36;  17:15-17;  19:11.  When,  how- 
ever, Adonijah  set  himself  up  for  David's 
successor  on  the  throne,  in  opposition  to 
Solomon,  Abiathar  sided  with  him,  while 
Zadok  was  on  Solomon's  side.  For  this 
Abiathar  was  deprived  of  the  high  priest- 
hood. Zadok  had  joined  David  at  Hebron, 
1  Chron.  12  :  28,  so  that  there  were  hence- 
forth two  high  priests  in  the  reign  of  David, 
and  till  the  deposition  of  Abiathar  by  Solo- 
mon, when  Zadok  became  the  sole  high 
priest,  thus  fulfilhng  the  prophecy  of  1  Sam. 
2 :  30.  Ahimelech,  or  Abimelech,  son  of 
Abiathar,  is  substituted  for  Abiathar,  .son  of 
Ahimelech.  2  Sam.  8  :  17  ;  1  Chron.  18  :  16 ; 
24  : 3,  6,  31.  The  Lord  Jesus,  Mark  2  :  26, 
names  Abiathar  as  the  high  priest  in  whose 
time  David  ate  the  shewbread.  Probably 
the  sense  is:  "In  the  days  of  Abiathar, 
who  tvas  afterwards  high  priest,"  and  under 
whom  the  record  of  the  fact  would  be  made. 
Perhaps  too  the  loaves,  being  his  perquisite. 
Lev.  24  : 9,  were  actually  handed  by  Abi- 
athar to  David.  Both  father  and  son,  more- 
over, it  seems  from  the  quotations  above, 
bore  both  names,  and  were  indifTerently 
called  by  either. 

Abib '  (d'&i5),  budding,  Ex.  13:4.  See 
Month. 

Abiezer  (d-bi-e'zer),  the  father  of  help. 
Eldest  son  of  Gilead,  and  descendant  of 
Manasseh,  Josh.  17  : 2 ;  1  Chron.  7  :  18 ;  Num. 
26  :  30,  where  the  name  is  given  in  the  con- 
tracted form  Jeezer.  He  was  the  ancestor 
of  the  great  judge  Gideon.  2.  A  native  of 
Anathoth.  2  Sam.  23  :  27.  The  name  also 
occurs  in  Judg.  6  :  ;34;  8:2;  and  in  an  ad- 
jectival fonn,  "the  Abiezrite,"  in  Judg.  6  : 
11,  24 ;  8  :  32. 

Abigail  {db'i-gdil  or  gSl),  father,  i.  e., 
source,  of  joy.  1.  The  iDeautiful  wife  of 
Nabal,  a  wealthy  owner  of  goats  and  sheep 
in  Carmel.  When  David's  messengers  were 
slighted  by  Nabal,  Abigail  suppUed  David 
and  his  followers  with  provisions,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  appeasing  his  anger.  Ten  days 
after  this  Nabal  died,  and  David  sent  for 
Abigail  and  made  her  his  wife.  1  Sam.  25  : 
14,  etc.  By  her  he  had  a  son,  called  Chi- 
leab  in  2  Sam.  3  : 3,  but  Daniel  in  1  Chron. 
3:1.  2.  A  sister  of  David,  married  to  Je- 
ther  the  Ishmaelite,  and  mother,  bv  him,  of 
Amasa.  1  Chron.  2  :  17.  In  2  Sam.  17  :  25, 
for  Israelite  read  Ishmaelite. 

Abihu  (a-bVhew),  whose  father  is  He,  i.e., 
God.  One  of  the  sons  of  Aaron,  who,  to- 
gether with  his  brothers,  Nadab,  Eleazar, 
and  Ithamar,  were  set  apart  by  God  to  the 
office  of  the  priesthood.  Soon  after  thev 
entered  upon  their  sacred  duties,  Nadab 
and  Abihu  were  guilty  of  a  violation  of 
God's  commands,  respecting  the  manner  of 
offering  incense,  and  they  were  suddenly 
destroyed  by  fire  from  heaven.  They  used 
strange,  or  common,  fire,  instead  of  the 


sacred  fire  which  they  were  required  to  use 
from  the  altar  of  burnt  offering.  Lev.  10  : 
1,  2.  As  the  prohibition  of  wine  and  strong 
drink,  especially  when  entering  into  the 
sanctuary,  immediately  follows,  we  may  in- 
fer that  Nadab  and  Abihu  were  intoxicated 
when  they  fell  into  this  presumptuous  sin. 
Abijali  (a-b'i'Jah),  whose  father  is  Jehovah. 

1.  A  son  of  Jeroboam  I.,  king  of  Israel,  who 
died  under  interesting  circumstances  in 
early  Ufe.    1  Kings  14  : 1.    See  Jeroboam. 

2.  Abijah  or  Abijam,  2  Chron.  13  : 1,  the  son 
of  Rehoboam  and  Michaiah,  succeeded  his 
father  as  king  of  Judah,  b.  c.  959.  He  made 
war  against  Jeroboam,  king  of  Israel,  for 
the  purpose  of  getting  back  the  kingship  of 
the  ten  tribes,  and  defeated  him,  with  a 
loss  of  500,000  men.  These  figures  are  prob- 
ably through  a  copyist's  mistake  made  too 
large;  the  loss,  it  is  hkelv,  was  not  greater 
than  50,000.  He  began  to  reign  in  the 
eighteenth  year  of  Jeroboam,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son  Asa  in  the  twentieth  year 
of  Jeroboam,  so  that  he  reigned  onlv  a  part 
of  three  years.  The  apparent  contradiction 
in  respect  to  the  parentage  of  this  person, 
as  it  is  given  in  1  Kings  15  :  2  and  2  Chron.  13 : 
2,  may  be  explained  by  supposing  that  his 
mother  ilaachah  (or  Michaiah)  was  the 
daughter  of  Uriel  and  the  granddaughter 
of  Absalom,  who  is  called  Abishalom.  1 
Kings  15:2.  The  term  "  daughter  "  is  given 
in  the  Bible  to  other  relatives  than  one's 
own  child ;  e.  g.,  to  a  niece,  granddaughter, 
or  great-granddaughter.  3.  The  head  of 
one  of  the  courses  of  priests,  1  Chron.  24  :  10 ; 
Neh.  12  :  17  ;  termed  Abia  in  Luke  1 : 5.  4. 
The  mother  of  Hezekiah,  2  Chron.  29  :  1 ; 
also  called  Abi  in  2  Kings  18  :  2.  5.  One  of 
the  priests  who  "  sealed  the  covenant ;  "  i.  e., 
appended  their  seals  unto  it  to  signify  that 
they  were  parties  to  it.  Neh.  10:7.  6.  A 
priest  who  returned  with  Zerubbabel  from 
Babylon.    Neh.  12  : 4,  17. 

Abijam  {a-bV jam),  father  of  the  sea,  i.  e,  a 
maritime  person.  1  Kings  15  : 1,  7,  8.  See 
Abijah  (2). 

Abilene  (db'i-le'ne),  from  Abila,  a  small 
district  of  Palestine  on  theeastei'n  slopes  of 
Anti-Libanus,  of  which  Abila  on  the  river 
Barada  was  the  capital.  It  was  governed 
by  Lysanias  in  the  time  of  John  the  Baptist. 
Luke  3  : 1. 

Abimelecli  {a-b1m'e-lck),fatherofihe  king, 
or  royal  father.  This  seems  to  have  been 
the  common  title  of  several  of  the  PhiUstine 
kings.  1.  A  king  of  Gerar,  and  contem- 
porary with  Abraham,  who  took  Sarah  into 
his  harem,  and  thought  to  make  her  his 
wife  ;  but  being  warned  of  God  in  a  dream 
of  Sarah's  relationship  to  Abraham,  that 
she  was  not  his  sister,  but  his  wife,  he  re- 
stored her  to  her  husband,  with  a  present  of 
a  thousand  pieces  of  silver,  as  "a  covering 
of  the  eyes"  for  Sarah;  that  is,  as  an 
atoning  present,  and  to  be  a  testimony  of 
her  innocence  in  the  eyes  of  all.  Gen."  20  : 
1-18.  2.  Another  king  of  Gerar,  probably 
son  of  the  former,  who  rebuked  Isaac  for 
his  dissimulation,  in  calling  his  wifo  his 
sister,  and  afterwards  made  a  league  with 
him  at  Beersheba.  Gen.  26  : 6, 31.  3.  A  sou 
of  Gideon,  by  his  concubine,  who,  after  the 
U 


ABINADAB 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ABOMINABLE 


death  of  his  father,  persuaded  the  men  of 
Shechem  to  make  him  king.  He  slew  his 
father's  70  sons  on  one  stone,  leaving  only  j 
Jotham,  the  youngest,  ahve,  who  hid  him- 
self. Three  years  afterwards  the  men  of  I 
Shechem  rose  against  Abimelech ;  he  de-  I 
feated  them  and  destroyed  their  city,  and 
sowed  it  with  salt.  While  attacking  Thebez, 
he  was  mortally  wounded  by  a  piece  of  a 
millstone  thrown  upon  his  head  by  a  woman 
from  the  top  of  the  tower.  That  it  might 
not  be  said,  "  a  woman  slew  him,"  he  called 
to  his  armor-bearer  to  thrust  him  through 
with  his  sword,  and  thus  he  died.  This  was 
the  first  attempt  to  establish  a  monarchy  in 
Israel.  Judg.  9  : 5,  54.  4.  The  name  given 
in  the  title  of  Ps.  34  toAchish,  kingof  Gath. 
5.  The  name  of  "Ahimelech"  is  thus  writ- 
ten in  1  Chron.  18 :  16. 

Abinadab  {a-bin'a-ddb),  father  of  noble- 
ness, i.  e.,  noble.  1.  1  Sam.  16  : 8.  One  of  the 
eight  sons  of  Jesse,  and  one  of  the  three  of 
his  sons  who  followed  Saul  in  battle.  2.  1 
Sam.  31 : 2.  One  of  Saul's  sons  who  was  slain 
at  the  battle  of  Gilboa.    3.  1  Sam.  7  : 1  and 

1  Chron.  13  : 7.  A  Levite  of  Kirjath-jearim, 
with  whom  the  ark  of  the  Lord  was  depos- 
ited when  it  Avas  brought  back  from  the 
Phihstines.  4.  1  Kings  4  :  11.  One  of  the 
twelve  oflflcers  appointed  by  Solomon  to 
provide  alternately,  month  by  month,  food 
for  the  king  and  his  household. 

Abiram  {a-bVram),  father  of  height,  i.  e., 
renowned.  1.  Num.  16  : 1.  One  of  the  sons 
of  Eliab,  the  Reubenite,  who  were  de- 
stroved  with  Korah  for  a  conspiracy  against 
Moses.  SeeKorab.  2.  1  Kings  16  :  34.  The 
first-born  of  Hiel,  the  Bethehte. 

Abisbag  {(Wi-shdg  or  a-M' shag),  father  of 
error,  a  beautiful  virgin  of  Shunem,  in 
Issachar,  chosen  to  cherish  David  in  his  old 
age.  After  his  death,  Adonijah  sought  her 
hand  to  promote  his  treasonable  schemes, 
and  was  punished  by  death.    1  Kings  1 : 2. 

Abisbai  (a-btsh'a-l  or  a-bl-shd'i),  father  of 
a  gift,  eldest  son  of  Zeruiah,  David's  sister, 
brother  of  Joab  and  Asahel,  one  of  the 
bravest  of  David's  "  mighty  men,"  1  Chron. 

2  :  16,  always  foithful  to  his"  royal  uncle,  and 
usually  a 'personal  attendant.  He  went 
with  him  alone  to  the  tent  of  Saul,  1  Sam, 
26  : 5-12,  and  was  a  leader  in  the  war  with 
Ish-bosheth,  2  Sam.  2  :  18,  24,  in  the  war  with 
the  Edomites,  1  Chron.  18  :  12,  13,  and  with 
the  Svrians  and  Ammonites.  2  Sam.  10  :  10, 
14.  In  a  battle  with  the  Philistines  he 
rescued  David,  and  slew  Ishbi-benob  the 
giant,  2  Sam.  21 :  1<5.  17.  He  broke  through 
their  host  around  Bethlehem,  and  lifted  up 
his  spear  against  300,  and  slew  them,  2  Sam. 
23  :  14-18  ;  and  was  with  David  in  the  mat- 
ters of  Shimei,  Absalom,  and  Sheba.  2  Sam. 
16  : 9;  18:2;  19:21 ;  20:6,  7. 

Abisbua  {a-bish'u-ah or  db'i-shu'ah), father 
of  welfare.  1.  The  son  of  Phineas,  the  high 
priest.  1  Chron.  6  : 4, 5, 50  ;  Ezra  7:5.  2.  The 
son  of  Bela.    1  Chron.  8  :  4. 

Ahner  (db'ner),  father  of  light.  1.  Son  of 
Ner,  who  was  the  brother  of  Kish,  1  Chron. 
9  :  36,  the  father  of  Saul.  (b.  c.  1063.)  Ab- 
ner,  therefore,  was  Saul's  first  cousin,  and 
was  made  by  him  commander-in-chief  of 
iiis  army.  1  Sam.  14  :  51 ;  17  :  57  ;  26  : 5-14. 
12 


After  the  death  of  Saul  David  was  pro- 
claimed king  of  Judah ;  and  some  time 
subsequently  Abner  proclaimed  Ish-bosh- 
eth, Saul's  son,  king  of  Israel.  War  soon 
broke  out  between  the  two  rival  kings,  and 
a  "very  sore  battle"  was  fought  at  Gibeon 
between  the  men  of  Israel  under  Abner 
and  the  men  of  Judah  under  Joab.  1  Sam. 
15-32.  In  this  engagement  he  killed,  in 
self-defence,  Asahel,  the  brother  of  Joab  and 
\bisliai.  Perhaps  he  now  had  some  idea 
of  seizing  the  IsraeUtish  throne  for  himself; 
for  he  appropriated  a  woman  of  Saul's 
harem,  which  Ish-bosheth  interpreted  as 
an  overt  act  of  rebelhon.  Abner,  incensed 
at  his  ingratitude,  opened  negotiations  with 
David,  by  whom  he  was  most  favorably 
received  at  Hebron.  He  then  undertook  to 
procure  David's  recognition  throughout 
Israel ;  but  after  leaving  his  presence  for 
the  pui'pose  was  enticed  back  by  Joab,  and 
treacherously  murdered  by  him  and  liis 
brother  Abishai,  at  the  gate  of  the  city, 
ostensibly  in  retahation  for  the  death  of 
Asahel;  really,  we  may  suppose,  through 
jealousy,  as  he  would  have  at  least  rivalled 
Joab  in'position.  David,  though  unable  to 
punish  tlie  powerful  brothers,  solemnized 
Abner's  funeral  with  gi-eat  respect  and  gen- 
eral mourning,  and  poured  forth  a  simple 
dirge  over  the  slain  hero.  2  Sam.  3  :  33.  34. 
2.  The  father  of  Jaasiel,  chief  of  the  Benja- 
mitesin  David's  reign,  1  Chron.  27  :  21 ;  prob- 
ably the  same  as  the  preceding. 

Abominable,  Aboinination.  1.  An 
abomination,  or  an  abominable  thing,  is  a 
thing  hateful  or  detestable,  as  the  employ- 
ment or  calhng  of  shepherds  was  to  the 
Egyptians.  Gen.  46:34.  2.  Under  the  Mo- 
saic law  those  animals  and  acts  are  called 
abominable  the  use  or  doing  of  which  was 
prohibited.  Lev.  11 :  13  and  Deut.  23  :  18.  3. 
Idolatrj'  of  every  kind  is  especially  denoted 
bv  this' term.  Jer.  44  : 4  and  2  Kings  23  :  13. 
4."  So  of  sins  in  general.  Isa.  66:3.  The 
Abomination  of  Desolation,  literally  the 
abomination  of  the  desolator.  This  was  Dan- 
iel's prediction  of  the  pollution  of  the  tem- 
ple at  Jerusalem,  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes, 
who  set  up  in  it  the  altar  and  the  statue  of 
Jupiter  Olympus ;  the  daily  sacrifice  was 
taken  away,  and  the  abo'mination  that 
maketh  desolate  drove  all  the  true  worship- 
pers of  God  from  the  temple.  Dan.  11 :  31 ; 
12  :  11.  But  the  prophecy  had.  to  say  the 
least,  a  further  reference.  For  our  Lord 
appeals  to  it.  Matt.  24  :  15-18;  Mark  13  :  14- 
16,  and  declares  that  its  fulfillment  was  to 
be  the  warning  for  his  disciples  to  fiee  from 
the  doomed  city.  This  would  be  simulta- 
neous with  the  investment  of  Jerusalem. 
Luke  21 :  20,  21.  Some  have  beheved  the 
investment  (when  Cestius  Gallus  first  en- 
camped around  Jerusalem,  66  a.  d.,  and 
then  M'ithdrew)  the  abomination  of  desola- 
tion itself;  the  Roman  standards  (objects 
of  worship  to  the  soldiers)  being  then 
planted  on  holy  ground.  But  these  stan- 
dards had  been  there  before ;  and  so  it  is 
more  likely  that  the  aboininable  thing  was 
something  done  by  the  Jews  themselves. 
Now  Josephus  mentions  a  profanation  by 
the  Zealots  who  had  got  possession  of  the 


AERAM 


OF  THE  BIBLK 


ABRAM 


temple ;  and  to  this  or  some  similar  deed 
our  Lord,  we  may  suppose,  referred.  The 
Christians,  it  may  be  added,  took  tlie  warn- 
ing, the  opportunity  being  aH'orded  by  the 
retirement  of  Gallus,  and  fied  to  Pella. 

Abrain  {ci'bram),  Idgh  father,  afterwards 
named  Abraham  {■!' bra-ham),  father  of  a 
viidlitude.  Gen.  17  : 4,  5,  the  great  founder 
of  the  Jewish  nation,  as  well  as  of  the 
LshmaeUtes  and  other  Arabian  tribes.  Gen. 
25.  He  was  a  son  of  Terah,  a  descendant 
of  Shem,  and  a  brother  of  Xahor  and  Haran, 
and  was  born  in  Ur,  a  city  of  Chaldea. 
Gen.  11  :  27,  28.  Here  he  hved  70  years, 
when  at  the  call  of  God  he  left  his  idola- 
trous kindred.  Josh.  24 :  2,  14,  and  removed 
lo  Haran,  in  Mesopotamia,  Acts  7  :  2-4,  ac- 
coinpanied  by  his  father,  his  wife  Sarai,  his 
brother  Nahor,  and  his  nephew  Lot.  Here, 
a  few  years  after,  Terah  died.  Abram's 
proper  historj'  now  begins.  He  was  com- 
manded to  go  into  Canaan,  receiving  at  the 
time  a  two- fold  promise,  that  his  seed 
should  become  a  vast  multitude,  and  that 
through  them  all  the  families  of  the  earth 
should  be  blessed.  Abram  was  become  a 
wealthy  chief,  and,  with  the  servants  and 
the  substance  that  belonged  to  him,  accom- 

Eanied  by  his  wife  Sarai  and  his  nephew 
ot,  he  entered  Canaan.  12 : 1-5.  The 
country  was  already  occupied  by  descend- 
ants of  Ham.  He  passed  through  l.ie  heart 
of  the  country  by  the  great  highway  to 
Shechem,  and  pitched  his  tent  by  the  oak 
of  Moreh.  Gen.  12  :G.  Here  he  received 
in  vision  from  Jehovah  the  further  revela- 
tion that  tills  was  the  land  which  his  de- 
scendants should  inherit.  Removing  from 
Moreh  he  pitched  on  a  mount  to  the  east 
of  Bethel,  and  journeying  south  he  went 
down  into  Egypt  (famine  then  atHicting 
Canaan),  establishing  there  the  first  hnkof 
that  mysterious  chain  whicli  so  long, 
through'almost  all  their  history,  bound  the 
chosen  people  for  disci pUne  and  for  warn- 
ing to  the  Egyptians.  But  here,  alas ! 
Abram's  faith  wavered.  Fearing  that  the 
great  beauty  of  Sarai  might  tempt  the 
powerful  monarch  of  Egypt  and  expose  his 
own  hfe  to  peril,  he  arranged  that  Sarai 
should  represent  herself  as  his  sister,  which 
her  actual  relationship  to  him,  as  ]»robably 
the  daughter  of  his  brother  Flaran,  allowed 
her  to  do  with  some  semblance  of  truth. 
But  her  beauty  was  reported  to  the  king, 
and  she  was  taken  into  the  royal  harem.  He 
was  rescued  by  God's  providence  from  the 
false  position  in  wliich  he  had  placed  him- 
self, and  enriched  by  Pharaoh  he  returned 
to  Canaan.  Gen.  12  :  lU-20.  Abram  was 
v,ealthy ;  and  Lot  was  wealthy  too.  Had 
the  land  been  empty,  they  might  very  well 
hiive  extended  their  encampments  in  it. 
But  the  Canaanites  and  Perizzites  were 
there  too ;  and  tnerefore  uncle  and  nephew 
must  separate.  From  a  hill  near  Bethel, 
which  it  is  said  may  still  be  identified, 
Abram  and  Lot  surveyed  the  country;  and 
Lot,  having  his  choice  allowedhim,  selected 
the  rich  valley  of  the  Jordan  for  his  abode, 
careless  what  kind  of  associates  he  would 
thus  meet  with ;  while  Abram,  with  the 
renewed  asstirance  that  Canaan  should  be 


given  to  his  seed,  went  southward  to 
Mamre  and  dwelt  there.  Lot  was  soon  in- 
volved in  the  disasters  of  the  neighborhood 
he  had  chosen.  He  was  made  prisoner  in 
the  irruption  of  an  eastern  monarch,  of 
whom  something,  it  is  said,  is  yet  to  be 
dimly  traced  In  the  deciphered  Assyrian 
inscriptions  (see  Assyria  and  Lot). 
Abram  resolved  to  attempt  his  nephew's 
rescue.  On  his  victorious  return  he  re- 
ceived the  blessing  of  Melchizedek.  But 
Abram's  faith  began  to  be  sorely  tried. 
The  promise  was  to  him  in  his  seed ;  and 
as  yet  he  had  no  child.  Years  rolled  on; 
and  the  likeUhood  of  his  having  offspring 
^rew  less  and  less.  The  promise  was  there- 
tore  repeated :  Abram  believed  it.  And 
now,  because  his  faith  held  on,  not  only 
when  accomphshment  seemed  easy,  but 
when  it  was  delayed  and  seemed  most 
difficult,  well-nigh'  impossible,  now,  when 
there  was  the  word  alone,  the  bare  promise, 
with  no  outward  confirmation,  and  Abram 
still  beheved,  God  "counted  it  to  him  for 
righteousness."  The  trial  of  his  faith  was 
very,  very  precious,  "  much  more  precious 
than  of  gold  that  perisheth."  1  Pet.  1  : 7. 
And  then  there  was  a  symbol  vouchsafed 
him,  and  larger  promise  that  his  posterity 
should  possess  the  whole  extent  of  country 
between  the  river  of  Egypt  and  the  Eu- 
phrates. Sarai's  faith,  however,  faltered ; 
and,  as  the  promise  was  not  yet  announced 
that  the  holy  .seed  should  come  from  Sarai's 
womb,  she  gave  her  husband  her  Egyptian 
maid,  intending  to  adopt  her  child.  Abram 
then  had  a  son,  Ishmael ;  but  he  was  not 
the  heir  of  promise.  Thirteen  years  passed 
on,  perhaps  spent  at  Mamre ;  and  the 
purposes  of  God  were  ripening.  The 
covenant  was  now  made  more  definite : 
Sarai  was  included  in  the  promise ;  the 
names  of  the  pair  were  changed  to  Abra- 
ham and  Sarah ;  and  the  sign  of  circum- 
cision was  added,  to  be  a  token  throughout 
all  generations  that  God  had  been  with  and 
was  blessing  Abraham  his  friend.  But 
there  must  be  delay  and  trial  still.  The 
Lord  held  again  mysterious  conference  with 
Abraham,  before'  Sodom  was  destroyed, 
ami  Abraham,  perhaps  in  consequence 
of  that  catastrophe,  journeyed  south-west 
into  the  land  of  the 'Philistines  at  Gerar; 
and  there  the  evil  step  in  Egypt  was  re- 
peated. At  length  God's  time'  was  come ; 
and  Sarah  bare  Abraham  a  son  (prob- 
ably at  Gerar)  in  his  old  age.  And  then 
indeed  there  was  joy ;  the  promise  long 
waited  for  being  now'  fulfilled.  The  name 
given  to  the  child,  Isaac  {laughter  or  sport- 
ing), indicated  this.  Once  Sarah  had 
laughed  incredulously  at  the  idea  of  her 
having  a  son,  and  Abraham  had  laughed 
too,  his  faith,  strong  as  it  was,  being  then 
inclined  to  fix  on  Ishmael  as  the  heir  of 
his  name  and  blessing.  Gen.  chaps.  13- 2U. 
But  now  the  happy  ])arents  laughed  with 
thankful  joy;  and  all  their  friends  that 
heard  the  tidings  laughed  and  rejoiced  with 
them.  (ien.  21 : 1-7.  There  was  a  feast  made 
when  Isaac  was  weaned  ;  yet  the  mirth  of 
that  feast  was  dashed  with  heaviness.  The 
son  of  the  bondwoman,  jealous  perhap.s  of 
13 


ABKAlVr 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ABSALOM 


Isaac's  happier  lot,  was  discovered  mock- 
ing; and  Sarah  insisted  that  he  and  his 
motlier  Hagar  should  be  banished  from  the 
encampment.  It  was  very  grievous  to 
Abraham;  but  God  commanded  hnn  to 
yield  ;  and  Hagar  and  Ishmael  went  forth, 
a  sign  of  the  call  of  the  Gentiles,  and  prov- 
ing the  best  means  of  fuhilling  the  promise 
that  Ishmael  should  become  a  great  na- 
tion. Gen.  21  : 8-21 ;  Gal.  4  :  22-31.  There 
were  some  petty  troubles  from  Abimelech 
in  the  patriarch's  hfe,  but  with  this  excep- 
tion nothing  is  recorded  of  the  space  of 
perhaps  25  vears.  His  residence  was  now 
at  Beer-sheba.  And  then  came  a  strange 
and  crushing  trial.  To  comprehend  it,  we 
must  bear  in  mind  that  Abraham  hved 
among  idolaters,  who  ruthlessly  made  their 
children  pass  through  the  fire.  Lev.  18  :  21, 
2-1,  25 ;  Deut.  18  : 9,  10.  Many  a  time  must 
Abraham  have  seen  from  afar  the  smoke 
of  sacrifices,  and  known  that  human  vic- 
tims were  ottered  there.  And  his  heart 
must  have  glowed  when  he  remembered 
that  /iisGod  required  no  such  homage ;  and 
perhaps  he  had  to  stand  the  scott'  of  those 
around,  that  he  had  chosen  a  very  easy 
rehgion,  demanding  not  the  self-denying 
obedience  which  theirs  did.  For,  surely, 
though  they  practiced  these  cruel  abomin- 
ations, many  hearts  among  them  must  have 
bled  as  their  dearest  were  taken  as  victims ; 
and  though  they  yielded  to  the  stern  law  it 
must  have  been  with  grief  and  bitter  tears. 
Their  obedience,  then,  they  would  say,  was 
far  deeper  and  more  meritorious  than 
Abraham's  easv  service.  But  then  came 
the  command,  "  Take  now  thy  son,  thine 
only  son  Isaac  whom  thou  lovest  .  .  .  and 
offer  him  for  a  burnt-offering."  It  was  not 
merelv  the  laceration  of  domestic  ties,  not 
onlv  the  apparent  bhght  of  the  promise  so 
long  waited  for  and  then  fulfilled— the 
whole  basis  of  his  trust  seemed  overturned, 
the  character  of  the  God  he  worshipped 
changed,  his  rehgion  no  better  than  that 
of  the  surrounding  tribes.  Imagination  can- 
not conceive  a  harder  trial.  But  his  faith, 
hitherto  unshaken,  supported  him  in  this 
final  trial,  "  accounting  that  God  was  able 
to  raise  up  his  son,  even  from  the  dead,  from 
whence  also  he  received  him  in  a  figure." 
Heb.  11  :  19.  The  sacrifice  was  stayed  by  the 
angel  of  Jehovah,  the  promises  were  again 
confirmed  to  him,  the  s])iritual  blessings  in 
them  being  prominently  exhibited;  and, 
with  gratitude  which  even  the  sacred  his- 
torian does  not  attempt  to  describe,  Abra- 
ham returned  to  Beer-sheba.  This  great 
event  was  the  most  wonderful  in  the  pa 
triarch's  life.  Then  it  was,  no  doubt,  that 
his  eye  was  opened  to  perceive  in  the  dim 
future  another  sacrifice,  of  a  dearer  Son 
yielded  by  a  higher  Father  (and  probably 
on  or  near  that  very  spot),  a  sacrifice 
actually  consummated,  by  the  virtue  of 
which  a  propitiation  of  world-wide  vir- 
tue was  effected.  The  rest  of  Abraham's 
history  is  comparatively  scanty.  He  seems 
to  have  removed  from"  Beer-sheba  to  Kir- 
jath-aiba  or  Hebron;  and  there  Sarah 
died  when  he  was  137.  He  purchased  for 
her  sepulchre  the  field  and  cave  of  Mach- 
14 


pelah  from  the  princes  of  the  land,  for  the 
exorbitant  price  of  4(j0  shekels  of  silver. 
The  bargain  w  ith  Ephron  is  very  character- 
istic of  eastern  manners  to  the  present  day. 
Some,  misled  by  Ephron's  courteous  speech, 
have  fancied  that  he  really  intended  to 
ofi'er  his  field  to  Abraham  for  a  gift.  But 
this  is  from  sheer  ignorance  of  Oriental 
habits.  Ephron  was  a  shrewd  man,  w  ho 
well  knew  how  to  drive  a  bargain ;  and  a 
good  one  he  made  for  himself.  Gen.  23. 
Abraham  then  took  care  that  his  son  Isaac 
should  not  marry  into  the  idolatrous 
famihes  around.  And  next  there  is  the 
strange  record  that  he  had  another  wife, 
and  children  by  her;  and  even  "concu- 
bines" are  mentioned.  Keturah  was  a 
seeondarj'  or  inferior  wife,  not  given  to  the 
patriarch  by  Sarah,  as  Hagar  was.  It  may 
be,  therefore,  that,  though  the  fact  is  noted 
so  late,  the  children  had  been  born  much 
earher.  But  we  can  hardly  arrive  at  cer- 
tainty on  this  matter.  Be  it  as  it  may, 
Abraham  sent  away  his  other  sons  with 
gifts  into  the  east,  that  they  might  not  in- 
terfere with  Isaac,  to  Avhom  his  great  inher- 
itance belonged.  And  then  he  died,  175 
years  old,  having  seen  Isaac's  sons,  and  was 
buried  by  Isaac  and  Ishmael  in  the  cave 
of  Machyjelah,  where  perchance  his  bones 
may  still  be  lying.  Such  briefly  is  the  story 
of  this  father  of  the  faithful,  from  whom 
tlie  precious  seed  descended,  and  into 
whose  bosom  the  faithful  dead  are  said  to 
have  been  conveyed.  Luke  16  :  22.  His 
faith  we  are  to  follow  :  his  good  example 
we  should  dihgently  imitate. 

Absalom  \ab'>ia-lom),  father  of  peace. 
The  third  son  of  David,  by  Maachah,  the 
daughter  ofTalmai,  king  of  Geshur,  born 
at  Hebron.  2  Sam.  3:3;  1  Chron.  3  : 2.  Absa- 
lom revenged  the  dishonor  done  to  Tamar, 
his  sister,  by  Amnon,  his  half-brother,  by 
kiUing  him  at  a  fea.st,  and  then  fled  to  his 
fether-in-law,  Talmai.  2  Sam.  13.  After 
three  years,  by  means  of  Joab,  he  was  ena- 
bled to  return  to  Jerusalem,  and  in  two 
years  more  fully  restored  to  David's  fa- 
vor. Absalom  was  now  nourishing  the  am- 
bitious scheme  of  supplanting  his  father. 
He  was  very  beautiful  and  had  extraor- 
dinary hair,  which  when  cut  every  year 
weighed  200  shekels,  the  exact  equivalent 
to  which  in  our  weights  it  is  not  easy  to 
ascertain;  or,  possibly,  the  hair  was  of  200 
shekels'  value.'  He  took  great  pains  to  ac- 
quire popularity,  and  after  four  years  (so 
we  may  read,  2  Sam.  15:7;  he  raised  the 
standard  of  revolt  at  Hebron.  The  his- 
torv  of  this  rebelUon,  its  first  success— there 
being  evidently  some  ill-feeling  in  his 
own  tribe  of  Judah  towards  David— A\ith 
the  iniquitous  conduct  of  Absalom,  and 
his  final  defeat,  is  in  2  Sam.,  chap.  15-18. 
David  wished  to  spare  his  unhapjiy  sou's 
life;  but,  in  the  rout,  his  mule  cariTiug 
him  under  the  thick  boughs  of  an  oak,  his 
head  was  caught;  and  Joab,  being  made 
aware  of  this,  dispatched  him.  Absalom 
had  three  sons  and  a  daughter,  but  it 
would  seem  that  his  sons  died  before  him, 
as  he  erected  a  pillar  to  keep  his  name  in 
remembrance,    2  Sam.  18  :  IS.  A  monumenf 


ACCAT 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ACHZIB 


outside  the  walls  of  Jenisalem  now  bears 
his  name,  but  it  is  a  structure  of  compara- 
tively modern  date. 

Accad  {dk'kad),  fortress,  one  of  the  four 
cities  in  the  kingdom  of  Nimrod.  Gen.  10 : 
10.  It  was  in  the  land  of  Shinar,  and 
George  Smith  locates  it  at  Agadi,  on  the 
Euphrates,  north  of  Babylon.  Rawhnson 
places  it  at  Aker-Kuf,  ten  miles  west  by 
north  of  Bagdad.  Others  had  regarded  it 
as  identical  with  Ctesiphon. 

Accho  {(Ik'ko),  heated  sand,  now  Acca  or 
Acre,  Jiidg.  1:31,  or  Ptolemais  (so  called 
after  the  first  Ptolemy,  king  of  Egypt, 
into  whose  hands  it  fell  about  100  years 
before  Christ),  was  a  seaport  town  on 
tiie  bay  of  Acre,  over  against  Carmel, 
about  30  miles  south  of  Tyre.  It  was 
ill  tiie  territory  assigned  to  the  tribe 
of  Asher,  and  one  of  the  cities  from 
whicli  they  were  unable  to  expel  the 
Canaanites ;  and  it  is  even  now  considered 
the  strongest  place  in  Palestine.  It  is  men- 
tioned in  Acts  21 : 7.  It  now  has  about 
eooo  inhabitants.  The  place  has  been 
noted  in  modern  times  for  the  successful  re- 
sistance it  made,  under  Sir  Sydney  Smith, 
to  the  French  army  in  1799.  "it  has  an  old 
catliedral,  and  a  "bishop  of  the  Greek 
Church.  The  Romish  monks  have  an  inn, 
which  serves  them  instead  of  a,  convent. 

Accursed,  Cursed.  The  Greek  word 
anathema,  and  the  Hebrew  word  answer- 
ing to  it,  signify  things  accursed,  set  apart 
or  devoted  to  d"estruction.  But  the  phrase 
is  variously  rendered  :  1.  Josh.  6  :  17,  de- 
voted to  destruction.  2.  1  Cor.  12  : 3,  a  de- 
ceiver. 3.  Gai.  1:8,  9,  separated  from  the 
church. 

Aceldama  (a-sH'da-mah),  field  of  blood. 
Acts  1 :  19.  A  tield  said  to  have  been  in- 
tended for  the  burial  of  strangers,  which 
the  chief  priests  bought  with  the  money 
returned  by  Judas,  as  the  price  of  the  Sa- 
viour's blood.  Matt.  27:6-8.  It  was  just 
•without  the  wall  of  Jerusalem,  south  of 
Mount  Zion,  and  is  supposed  to  have  been 
originally  called  the  Potter's  Field,  becau.se 
it  furnished  a  sort  of  clay  suitable  for  pot- 
ter's ware.  The  "  held  of  blood "  is  now 
shown  on  the  steep  southern  face  of  the 
valley  or  ravine  of  Hinnom.  It  was  be- 
heved  in  the  middle  ages  that  the  soil  of 
this  place  had  the  power  of  rapidly  consum- 
ing bodies  buried  in  it,  and  in  consequence 
of  tills,  or  of  the  sanctity  of  the  spot,  great 
quantities  of  the  earth  were  taken  away. 

Achaia  (a-kd'  yah  or  a-kd'yah).  This  was 
the  original  nameof  a  district  in  the  north- 
west of  the  Peloponnesus :  in  New  Testa- 
ment times  it  had  a  wider  signification ;  for 
the  Roman  provinces  of  Achaia  and  Mace- 
donia comprehended  the  whole  of  Greece. 
It  is  in  this  larger  sense  that  Acnaia  must 
be  understood.  Acts  18  :  12,  27 ;  19  :  21 ;  Rom. 
15  :  26 ;  l&  :  5 ;  1  Cor.  16  :  15  ;  2  Cor.  1  : 1 ;  9  :  2 ; 
11 :  10;  1  Thess.  1  : 7,  8.  Achaia  was  first  a 
senatorial  province,  and  had  proconsuls. 
Tiljerius  changed  it  into  a  province  impe- 
rial under  procurators;  and  Claudius  re- 
stored it  to  tiie  senate.  Hence  Galho,  before 
whom  Paul  appeared,  v/as  proconsul.  Cor- 
iuth  was  the  capital  city. 


Aclian  (d'kan),  troubler.  A  man  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah,  who  at  the  sacking  of  Jeri- 
cho took,  contrary  to  God's  express  com- 
mand, a  portion  of  the  spoil.  Hence  the 
repulse  before  Ai.  Achan's  guilt  being 
discovered,  he  was  carried  witli  his  family 
and  all  his  property  into  the  valley  of 
Achor,  and  there  stoned  and  afterwards 
burned.  It  would  .seem  that  Achan's  fam- 
ily shared  his  punishment— how  far  they 
were  involved  in  his  crime  we  know  not— 
and  that  his  possessions  were  destroyed. 
Josh.  7.    He  is  also  called  Achar  {ci'kar). 

Achish  (d'kish),  angry  or  serpent  charmer. 
A  Philistine  king  at  Gath.  David  fled  twice 
to  him.  The  first  time  he  was  in  some  dan- 
ger, from  being  recognized  as  one  who  had 
distinguished  himself  against  the  Phihs- 
tines;  he  therefore  feigijed  madness.  1 
Sam.  21 :  10-15.  The  second  time  Achish 
treated  David  kindly,  gave  him  Ziklag,  and 
took  him  to  the  campaign  against  Saul, 
but  was  persuaded  by  his  officers  to  send 
him  home  again.  1  Sam.  27;  28:1,  2;  29.  At 
a  later  period  Shimei  went  to  Achish  in 
pursuit  of  his  servants  ;  but  it  is  doubtful 
whether  this  was  the  same  king.  1  Kings 
2  :  39,  40.  In  the  title  of  Ps.  34  he  is  called 
Abimelech. 

Acliinetha  {nk'me-thah),  strong  box  or 
press.  Ezra  6  : 2.  The  Ecbatana  of  ancient 
INIedia,  and  the  place  where  the  records  of 
the  kingdom  were  preserved.  The  place 
is  occupied,  as  it  is  supposed,  by  the  mod- 
ern city  of  Hamadan,  in  Persia.  It  was 
surrounded  by  seven  walls,  and  at  one 
period  was  considered  the  strongest  and 
most  beautiful  city  of  the  east,  except  Nin- 
eveh and  Babylon. 

Achor  {d'k'or),  trouble.  A  valley  near 
Jericho,  where  Achau  was  stoned ;  and 
from  the  trouble  Achan  brought  upon  Is- 
rael It  had  its  name.  Josh.  7  :  24,  26.  Yet 
from  that  trouble  sanctified  a  new  career 
of  victory  began.  With  this  idea  we  find 
the  place  and  the  circumstance  afterwards 
adverted  to.  Hos.  2 :  15.  The  valley  of 
trouble  was  the  door  through  which  Is- 
rael entered  Canaan  fir.st;  and  again 
through  the  valley  of  trouble  would  the 
Lord  lead  his  ransomed  people  to  peace 
and  rest.  The  boundary  hue  of  Judah  ran 
by  Achor.  Josh.  15  : 7.  It  is  also  mentioned 
in  Isa.  65 :  10. 

Achsa,  Aclisah  {dk'sah),  anklet.  The 
daughter  of  Caleb.  Caleb  promised  her  in 
marriage  to  any  one  who  should  take  Kir- 
jath-sepher,  or  Debir.  Judg.  1  :  11.  0th- 
niel,  son  of  Kenaz,  Caleb's  younger  brother, 
took  the  city  and  gained  the  hand  of  Ach- 
sah,  to  whom  her  father  gave  an  inherit- 
ance.   Josh.  15  :  16-19 ;  Judg.  1 :  12-15. 

Achshaph  (dk'sliaf),  enchantment.  Josh. 
12:20.  A  city  conquered  by  Joshua,  and 
afterwards  assigned  to  the  tribe  of  Asher. 
It  was  not  far  from.  Accho.    Josh.  19  :  25. 

Achzib  (dk'zib),  deceit.  1.  Josh.  19:29. 
A  city  of  the  tribe  of  Asher.  Judg.  1  :31. 
Its  present  name  is  Zib.  It  is  found  near 
the  sea  coast,  ten  or  twelve  miles  north  of 
Ptolemais,  and  was  visited  by  Buckinghair 
in  1816.  2.  Josh.  15  :  14,  and  Micah.  1  :  14.  J: 
town  of  Judah. 

15 


ACRABBIM 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ADAMANT 


Acrabbiin  (ak-krub'bim).  Josh.  15  :  3, 
margin.    See  Maaleh-acrabbim. 

Acts  of  the  Apostles.  The  book  so 
called  is  the  fifth  and  last  of  the  historical 
books  of  the  New  Testament ;  it  connects 
the  Gospels  with  the  Epistles,  being  a  fitting 
supplement  to  the  former  and  a  valuable 
introduction  to  the  latter.  There  can  be 
no  reasonable  question  that  Luke  -was 
the  writer  of  this  book.  Its  date  is  pretty 
well  determined  by  the  time  at  which  its 
narrative  closes— two  years  after  Paul's 
being  brought  a  prisoner  to  Rome.  We 
may,  therefore,  with  much  probability  as- 
sign it  to  63  A.D.  The  title  "Acts  of  the 
Apostles,"  by  which  this  book  is  commonly 
known,  woiild  seem  to  be  a  later  addition. 
It  does  not  describe  accurately  the  contents. 
For  the  object  of  the  evangelist  was 
neither  to  give  a  complete  history  of  the 
church  during  the  period  comprised,  nor  to 
record  the  labors  of  all  the  apostles :  it  was 
rather  to  exhioit  the  fulfillment  of  promise 
in  the  descent  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the 
consequent  planting  and  growth  of  the 
Christian  church  among  Jews  and  Gentiles 
by  the  estabUshment  of  centres  of  influence 
in  various  provinces  of  the  empire,  begin- 
ning at  Jerusalem  and  ending  at  Rome. 
Keepingthis  idea  steadily  in  view,  we  shall 
see  that  all  the  events  recorded  fall  natur- 
ally into  their  places,  and  that  any  seeming 
abruptness  is  sufhciently  accounted  for. 
This  book  divides  itself  into  two  main  parts ; 
each  being  grouped  around  a  central  figure. 
— 1.  The  i)!anting  and  extension  of  the 
church  among  the  Jews  by  the  ministry  of 
Peter.  Chs.  1-12.  Subdivisions  are  (1)  the  or- 
ganization of  the  church  in  Jerusalem,  1-7  ; 
(2)  the  branching  forth  of  the  gospel  in 
various  directions  from  the  mother  church. 
8-12.  2.  The  planting  and  extension  of  the 
church  among  the  Gentiles  by  the  ministry 
of  Paul.  13-28.  Subdivisions  are  (1)  Paul's 
ministry  at  large,  13-22  :  26  ;  (2)  his  ministrj' 
in  bonds.  22  :  27  ;  28.  It  must  be  carefully 
obsers'^ed  that  these  two  parts  are  closely- 
connected  as  belonging  to  one  great  system. 
For  it  is  Peter  who  first  introduces  a  Gen- 
tile convert  into  the  church;  and  Paul, 
during  the  whole  of  his  administrations,  is 
careful  to  proclaim  the  gospel,  in  every 
place  where  he  has  opportunity,  first  to  the 
Jews  and  afterwards  to  the  Gentiles.  There 
is  on  the  face  of  it  a  truthfulness  in  this 
book  which  strongly  commends  itself  to 
the  reader.  Thus  the  speeches  attiibuted 
to  different  individuals  are  in  full  ac- 
cordance with  their  respective  characters 
and  the  circumstances  in  which  they  stood. 
The  author  was  himself  present  at  several 
of  the  events  which  he  narrates — and  this 
he  carefully  notes  by  change  of  person  and 
in  the  verbs  and  pronouns  he  uses ;  he 
had,  moreover,  as  a  companion  of  the 
apostles,  the  best  opportunities  of  Knowing 
accurately  the  things  he  did  not  personally 
witness.  The  book  of  Acts  has  sometimes 
been  called  the  "  fin^t  missionary  report, 
but  with  no  financial  account."  The  per- 
sonal presence  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  with 
his  church  adding  to  its  numbers,  calling 
Paul,  speaking  with  htm,  and  also  of  the 
16 


Holy  Ghost  directing  the  church,  are  es- 
pecially noticeable  in  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  Acts  2  :  4,  47  ;  4  :  31 ;  8  :  39 ;  9  :  5, 
6,  10;  10:19;  13:2;  16:6;  18:9. 

Adam  {ad'am),  red,  red  earth.  The  name 
appropriated  to  the  first  man,  the  father  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  world ;  used,  how- 
ever, sometimes  more  generally,  as  in  Gen. 
5  : 1,  2,  where  the  woman  is  included.  This 
name  was  probably  chosen  to  remind  the 
man  of  his  earthly  nature,  seeing  that  out 
of  the  ground  his  body  was  taken,  though 
his  soul,  the  breath  of  hfe,  was  breathed  into 
his  nostrils  by  God's  immediate  act.  This 
history  of  his  creation  is  narrated  in  Gen. 

1  :  26-30 ;  2  :  7,  15-25,  a  single  pair  being 
formed,  to  Avhom  the  earth  was  given  for  a 
possession,  to  replenish  it  with  their  chil- 
dren, to  enjoy  the  fruits  of  it,  and  to  have 
dominion  over  the  inferior  animals.  We 
are  told  that  "God  created  man  in  his  own 
image  "  and  after  his  "  likeness ;  "  not  with 
resjiect  to  bodily  shape,  but  Avith  a  likeness 
to  God  in  moral"  attribute.«.  This  is  implied 
by  the  expressions  of  St.  Paul,  who  plainly 
considers  righteousness  and  hohness  the 
hkeness  of  God.  Eph.  4  :  24  ;  Col.  3  :  10.  The 
phrase  must  also  denote  the  ]iossession  of 
dominion  and  authority ;  for  immediately 
it  is  subjoined  "let  them  have  dominion," 
Gen.  1 :26,  explanator>-,  it  would  seem,  of 
the  term  "image."  And  so  St.  Paul  calls 
the  man  "  the  image  and  glorj-  of  God,"  on 
the  ground  of  his  being  "tlie  head  of  the 
woman."  1  Cor.  11 :3,  7.  The  high  intel- 
lectual power  with  which  man  was  en- 
dowed is  illustrated  by  his  giving  appro- 
priate names  to  the  lower  animals.    Gen. 

2  :  19. 20.  He  was  indeed  a  glorious  creature, 
and  would  have  been  uninterruptedly  and 
increasingly  happy  had  he  continued  in 
his  first  estate  of  innocence.  Adam's 
lamentable  fall  is  next  related.  How 
long  it  was  after  his  creation,  ingenious 
men  have  puzzled  themselves  to  discover, 
but  in  vain.  By  sin  Adam  lost  his  best 
prerogative.  He  had  suffered  spiritual 
death,  and  he  was  to  suffer  bodily  death  : 
dust  as  he  was,  to  dust  he  should  return. 
To  his  posterity  he  transmitted,  therefore,  a 
corrupted  nature,  which  could  be  restored 
and  recovered  only  by  the  power  of 
the  second  Adam,  a  head  of  life  and 
blessedness  to  all  that  beheve  in  him. 
Rom.  5  :  15,  16  ;  1  Cor.  15  :  21,  22,  45,  47,  48. 
Of  Adam's  subsequent  histoiy  we  know 
httle.  We  are  expressly  told  that  he  had 
"sons  and  daughters,"  though  the  names 
of  but  three  of  his  sons  are  recorded.  He 
Uved  930  years,  Gen.  4:1,2,  25,  26 ;  5  : 3-5 ;  1 
Chron.  1:1;  Luke  3  :  38,  and  was  probably 
contemporary  with  Methusalah  about  240 
years.  Methusalah  lived  600  years  with 
Koah ;  Shem  lived  150  years  with  Abram, 
and  50  years  with  Isaac,  according  to  the 
Ussher  Chronology,  so  that  the  historj'  of 
the  world  before  the  flood  might  have  been 
carried  through  three  or  four  persons  to  the 
time  of  Moses.  2.  A  city  near  the  Jordan,  by 
which  the  waters  were  cut  off  when  Israel 
passed  over.    Josh.  3  :  16. 

Adamant.  This  word  is  found  twice  m 
our  version,  Ezek.  3  : 9    Zech.  7  :  12,  in  both 


Ai)AR 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ADULLAM 


cases  used  metaphorically  to  signify  firm- 
ness of  character  and  purpose.  The  original 
word  occurs  again  in  Jer.  17  : 1,  where  it  is 
translated  "diamond,"  with  which  the 
writer's  pen  is  said  to  be  pointed.  The 
term  must  signify  some  exceedingly  hard 
stone;  and  diamond  is  the  'hardest  we 
know. 

Adar  {d'dar).  1.  A  place  on  the  south 
boundary  of  Judah.  Josh.  15  :  3.  2.  The 
12th  month  of  the  Jewish  sacred  year.  See 
Month. 

Adder.  Four  different  Hebrew  words 
are  so  rendered  in  the  A.  V.  That  occur- 
ring Gen.  49 :  17  (arrowsnake,  marg.),  im- 
plies a  gliding  motion.  It  is  a  small  and 
very  venomous  snake,  with  two  antennae 
like  horns,  well  known  in  Egypt,  accus- 
tomed to  lie  in  wait  in  the  sand  and  near 
paths.  "Adder  "  occurs  also,  Ps.  58  : 4 ;  91 : 
13,  as  the  translation  of  another  word,  per- 
haps embodying  the  idea  of  twisting  or 
twining.  It  is  described  as  deaf  to  the 
charmer,  and,  as  the  same  word  is  gener- 
ally rendered  "asp,"  e.  £?.,  Deut.  32  :  33,  it 
must  have  been  venomous.  It  is  probably 
the  Egyptian  cobra.  We  find  another  He- 
brew word,  Ps.  140:3,  which  is  compound, 
including  the  two  ideas  of  coiling  and  lying 
in  wait.  It  also  was  poisonous.  There  is 
one  more  word  which  impUes  hissing.  It 
occurs  several  times,  Prov.  23  :  32 ;  Isa.  11 : 8, 
14  :  29 ;  59  : 5 ;  Jer.  8  :  17,  but  is  rendered  "  ad- 
der "in  the  text  only  in  the  first-named 
Elace,  elsewhere  "  cockatrice."  It  seems  to 
ave  lived  in  holes,  to  have  been  oviparous, 
and  venomous. 

Ad  mail  {nd'mah),  earth  or  fortress,  one  of 
the  five  cities  in  the  vale  of  Siddim,  Gen. 
10  :  19 ;  14 : 2,  destroyed  with  Sodom. 

Adonibezek  {a-do'n'i-be'zek  or  a-ddn'i-he'- 
zek),  lord  of  Bezek.  The  king  of  Bezek, 
conquered  by  the  tribe  of  Judah.  He  had 
his  thumbs  and  great  toes  cut  off,  having 
himself  inflicted  the  same  punishment  on 
70  chiefs.    Judg.  1  : 4-7. 

Adonijah  (nd'o-nVjali),  my  lord  is  Jeho- 
vah. 1.  The  fourth  son  of  David,  by  Hag- 
gith,  born  at  Hebron.  2  Sam.  3:4;  1  Chron. 
3  : 2.  When  his  father  was  old,  he,  being  a 
man  of  fine  person  and  probably  popular, 
aspired  to  the  crown,  in  order  to  exclude 
Solomon.  He  was  joined  by  Joab  and  Abia- 
thar, andseems  to  have  had  Ihe countenance 
of  his  brothers,  But  David,  being  informed 
by  Bath-sheba  and  Nathan,  immediately 
ordered  Solomon  to  be  anointed  king ;  and 
the  intelhgence  of  this  broke  up  the  con- 
spiracy. Solomon  promised,  if  Adonijah 
remained  quiet,  that  this  offence  should  be 
overlooked  1  Kings  1.  He  did  not  re- 
main quiet,  but,  after  David's  death,  per- 
suaded Bath-sheba  to  ask  for  him  Abishag, 
a  woman  of  his  father's  harem.  Solomon, 
regarding  this  as  a  renewal  of  his  attempt 
upon  the  crown,  commanded  him  to  be 
executed  1  Kings  2  :  13-25.  2.  ALevitein 
Jehoshaphat'stime.  2  Chron.  17:8.  3.  One 
who  sealed  the  covenant.    Neh.  10  :  16. 

Adoniram  {dd'o-nVram).   See  Adorana. 

Adonizedek  {a-do'm-zl^dek  or  a-don-i- 
ze'dek),  lord  of  justice.  The  Amorite  king 
of  Jerusalem  who  organized  a  league  with 


four  other  Amorite  princes  against  Joshua. 
These  conlederate  kings  having  laid  siege 
to  Gibeon,  Joshua  marched  to  the  rehef  of 
his  new  alUes  and  put  the  besiegers  to 
flight.  The  five  kings  took  refuge  in  a  cave 
at  Makkedah,  whence  they  were  taken  and 
slain,  their  bodies  hung  on  trees,  and  then 
buried  in  the  place  of  their  concealment. 
Josh.  10  : 1-27. 

Adoption,  Gal.  4  :  5,  is  an  act  by  which 
one  is  received  into  a  man's  family  as  his 
own  child,  and  becomes  entitled  to  the 
peculiar  privileges  of  that  connection,  as 
fully  and  completely  as  a  child  by  birth. 
Ex.  2  :  10  and  Esth.  2  :  7.  In  the  figurative 
use  of  the  term  by  the  sacred  writers  it 
implies  that  relation  which  we  sustain  to 
God,  when,  by  his  grace,  we  are  converted 
from  sin  to  holiness  The  spirit  of  adoption 
is  received,  and  we  are  made  the  children 
(or  sons)  and  heirs  of  God,  and  joint-heirs 
with  Christ. 

Adoram  (a-du'ram),  lord  of  height.  1 
Kings  12  :  18.  By  an  unusual  contraction 
from  Adoniram,  2  Sam.  20  :  24,  and  1  Kings 
4:6,  and  also  Hadoram,  2  Chron.  10:18, 
chief  receiver  of  the  tribute  during  the 
reigns  of  David,  2  Sam.  20  :  24 ;  Solomon,  1 
Kings  4  :6,  and  Rehoboam,  1  Kings  12  :  18. 
This  last  monarch  sent  him  to  collect  the 
tribute  from  the  rebeihous  Israehtes,  by 
whom  he  was  stoned  to  death. 

Adranimelech  {a-drCan'me-ltk),  splendor 
of  the  king,  or  fire  king.  1.  One  of  the  idols 
adored  by  the  Sepharvaim,  who  were  set- 
tled in  Samaria.  They  made  their  children 
pass  through  the  fire  in  honor  of  this  deity, 
and  of  another  called  Anammelech,"  imag'e 
of  the  king."  RawUnson  supposes  the  sun 
and  his  wife  Aiiunit — perhaps  the  moon — 
to  be  referred  to.  2  Kings  17: 31.  2.  A  son 
of  Sennacherib,  who  aided  in  slaying  his 
father.    2  Kings  19  :  37  ;  Isa.  :^7  :  38. 

Adraniyttiuni  (ad-ra-mU'tl-um).  A  sea- 
port town  of  Mysia :  it  was  an  Athenian 
colony,  and  is  now  but  a  village,  retaining 
the  name  Edremid,  with  some  trade.  It 
was  in  a  ship  of  Adramyttium  that  Paul 
on  his  voyage  to  Italy  sailed  from  Ctesarea 
to  Myra.     Acts  27  : 2-5. 

Adria  {d'dri-ah),  Acts  27:27,  is  now  the 
gulf  which  lies  between  Italy  on  one  side, 
and  the  coast  of  Dalmatia  on  the  other.  It 
is  called  the  Gulf  of  Venice.  In  the  apos- 
tle's time  it  is  supposed  to  have  denoted  the 
whole  breadth  of  the  Mediterranean  sea, 
from  Crete  to  Sicily. 

Adriel.    1  Sam.  18 :  19.    See  Merab. 

Adnllam  [a-did'lam),  justice  of  the  peo- 
ple. Josh.  15 :  35.  An  ancient  and  royal 
city  in  Judah,  15  or  20  miles  south  west' of 
Jerusalem.  The  king  of  the  place  was  slain 
by  Joshua.  It  was  fortified  by  Rehoboam, 
and,  probably  on  account  of  its  strength, 
was  called  the  glory  of  Israel.  ISIic.  1 :  15. 
Near  this  city  was  a  cave,  where  David  se- 
creted himself  when  he  fled  from  Achish. 
The  cave  is  described  by  a  modem  traveller 
as  uneven,  intricate,  and  veiy  capacious; 
he  says  it  is  perfectly  plain  that  400  men 
might  conceal  themselves  in  the  sides  of 
the  cave,  as  David's  men  did,  and  escape 
observation.    1  Sam.  22 : 1, 

17 


ADULTERY 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


AI^AZ 


Adultery.  Strictly  denotes  uncleanness 
between  a  man  and  a  woman,  either  ot 
whom  is  married.  Broadly,  it  includes  all 
manner  ol  unchastity  in  heart,  speech,  or 
behavior.  Matt.  5  :  27,  28.  According  to 
the  law  of  God,  given  by  Moses,  the  adul- 
terer and  the  adulteress  shall  surely  be  put 
to  death.  Lev.  20 :  10.  The  mode  of  testing 
a  charge  made  by  a  man  accusing  his  wife 
of  adultery  is  given,  Num.  5  :12-ol.  Christ 
says  that  whosoever  looketh  on  a  woman  to 
lust  after  her  hath  committed  adultery  with 
her  already  in  his  heart.  Matt.  5:28.  In 
many  parts  of  the  Scripture  the  church  is 
called  an  adulteress  when  she  forsakes  the 
worship  of  God  and  practices  idolatry.  Isa. 
57  : 3-12 ;  Jer.  3  : 1,  2,  9  ;  lo  :  27  ;  Ezek.  23  :  27  ; 
Matt.  12:3'.),  etc.  By  our  Saviour  adultery 
was  made  the  only  ground  for  divorce. 

Adiiminim  {a-dum'mim).  Moody.  The 
name  of  a  dangerous  or  mountainous  part 
of  the  road  between  .Jerusalem  and  Jericho, 
about  (bur  miles  from  the  latter  place. 
This  lonely  road  is  said  to  be  still  much  in- 
fested by  robbers,  and  the  scene  of  many 
sanguinary  murders.  It  is  supposed  that 
the  scene  of  the  parable  of  tlie  Good  Sa- 
maritan was  laid  here.  Josh.  15:7;  18: 
17;  Luke  ]0:;10-;^6. 

Advocate.  1  John  2  : 1.  See  Comforter. 

^iion.    John  3:23.    See  Enon. 

Agabus  {ug'a-hus),  locust.  The  only  New 
Testament  prophet  mentioned  by  name. 
He  predicted  a  great  famine,  which  oc- 
curred in  the  reign  of  Claudius,  a.  d.  44. 
Acts  11  :28.  He  also  predicted  the  impris- 
onment of  Paul.    Acts  21 :  10,  11. 

Ag-ag  (d'gdg),  flame.  1.  The  name  or  title 
of  a  powerful  king  of  the  Amalekites,  who 
was  contemporary  with  IMoses.  Num.  24 : 
7.  2.  An  Amalekite  king,  who  was  con- 
quered by  Saul,  and  put  to  death  by  Samuel 
for  his  cruelty.  1  Sam.  15:8-;33.  The  term 
"  Agagite  "  signifies  an  Amalekite.  Esth.  3 : 
1,  10;  8::^  5. 

Agar  {d-gar).    Gal.  4  :  24.    See  Hagar. 

Agrippa  (d-gnjypah).     See  Herod. 

Aliab  (d'hdb),  Jniher's  brother.  1.  The 
sixth  king  of  Israel,  the  son  and  successor 
of  Omri.  His  reign  lasted  22  years,  918-897 
B.C..  He  was  the  weakest  and  one  of  the 
most  impious  of  all  the  Israehtish  mon- 
archs.  He  has  the  miserable  character 
given  him  of  doing  "evil  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord  above  all  that  were  before  him."  He 
not  only  maintained  the  worship  of  the 
calves  set  up  by  Jeroboam,  but,  having 
married  Jezebel,  daughter  of  Eth-baal,  king 
of  the  Zidonians,  he  yielded  himself  to  her 
evil  influence,  and  introduced  the  worship 
of  Baal  into  Samaria.  A  persecution  of  the 
prophets  of  the  Lord  followed— many  of 
them  being  destroyed  by  Jezebel.  As  a 
judgment,  a  drought  was  sent  upon  the 
land ;  and  then  came  the  solemn  vindica- 
tion of  Jehovah's  authority  by  the  prophet 
Elijah  before  Ahab  and  the  assembled  peo- 
ple, and  the  punishment,  according  to  the 
law  of  Moses,  of  the  idolatrous  prophets. 
1  Kings  17  :  18.  Jezebel  was  irritated  to  mad- 
ness at  the  news  of  this  catastrophe,  and 
resolved  to  sacrifice  Elijah ;  while  Ahab 
was  either  unable  or  unwilUng  to  interfere. 
18 


I  Afterwards  his  wicked  queen  led  him  into 
one  of  his  worst  crimes.  He  seems  to  have 
j  had  a  cultivated  taste.  He  built  cities, 
I  and  erected  an  ivoiy  palace,  1  Kings  22:b9, 
{  the  \\alis  being  probably  inlaid  with  ivory, 
and  had  iileasure  grounds  by  his  house  in 
Jezreel,  which  he  wished  to  enlarge  by  the 
I  addition  of  a  vineyard  belonging  to  Na- 
i  both.  Naboth,  however^  refused  either  to 
sell  or  to  exchange  his  hereditary  property ; 
and  Ahab,  disappointed,  manifested  the 
temper  of  a  spoiled  child.  The  unscrupu- 
lous Jezebel  then  put  him  in  possession  ot 
the  coveted  iilot  of  ground  by  the  judicial 
murder  of  Naboth  ;  and  Ahab  went  to  view 
it,  but  was  met  by  Elijah,  who  denounced 
on  him  a  fearful  judgment.  On  his  repent- 
ance, superficial  though  it  was,  this  sentence 
was  partially  revoked,  and  delayed  till  the 
days  of  Ahab's  son.  In  two. 'wars  with 
Syria  this  prince  was  successful,  but  he  im- 
properly spared  Een-hadad,  the  Syrian 
king,  'in  a  third  campaign,  having  at- 
tempted, in  alliance  with  Jehoshajjhat,  to 
retake  Ramoth-gilead,  still  occupied  by  the 
Syrians,  Ahab,  though  he  disguised  himself, 
wTismoi  tally  wounded  ;  and  the  dogs  hcked 
up  the  blood  washed  from  his  chariot  in 
the  pool  of  Samaria.  Weak  and  unsta- 
ble, Ahab  let  himself  be  made  the  tool 
of  his  wife;  and  his  historj-  is  an  instruct- 
ive warning  against  such  subserviency  to  a 
dangerous  influence.  1  Kings  21.  2.  A  false 
prophet  in  Babylon.    Jer.  29  :  20-23. 

Aha.«uerus  {a-hds-ti-e'rtis),  lion-kivg,  the 
name  of  one  Median  and  two  Persian  kings 
mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament.  1.  In 
Dan.  9  : 1  Ahasuerus  is  said  to  be  the  father 
of  Darius  the  Mede.  The  first  Ahasuerus 
is  Cyaxares,  the  conqueror  of  Nineveh,  B.C. 
634.  2.  The  Ahasuerus,  king  of  Persia,  re- 
ferred to  in  Ezra  4:G,  must  be  Cambyses, 
thought  to  be  Cyrus'  successor,  and  perhaps 
his  son.  B.  c.  529.  S.  The  third  is  the  Ahas- 
uerus of  the  Book  of  Esther.  This  Ahas- 
uerus is  probably  Xerxes  of  history,  Esther 
1  : 1,  B.  c.  485,  and  this  conclusion  is  favored 
by  the  resemblance  of  character  and  by 
certain  chronological  indications,  the  ac- 
counts of  his  hfe  and  character  agreeing 
with  the  book  of  Esther.  In  the  third  year 
of  Ahasuerus  was  held  a  great  feast  and  as- 
sembly in  Shushan  the  palace,  Esther  1  :3, 
follow'ing  a  council  held  to  consider  the  in- 
vasion of  Greece.  He  divorced  his  queen 
A'ashti  for  refusing  to  appear  in  pubhc  at 
this  banquet,  and  married,  four  years  after- 
wards, the  Jewess  Esther,  cousin  and  ward 
of  Mordecai.  Five  years  after  this,  Haman, 
one  of  his  counsellors,  having  been  shghted 
by  Mordecai,  prevailed  upon  the  king  to 
order  the  destruction  of  all  the  Jews  in  the 
empire.  But  before  the  day  appointed  for 
the  massacre,  Esther  and  Mordecai  iiiduced 
the  king  to  put  Haman  to  death,  and  to 
give  the  Jews  the  right  of  self-defence. 

Ahava  (a-lid'inli  or  n'ha-rnfi),  water.  A 
town  or  district  and  a  river  probably  in 
Babylonia,  near  where  Ezra  collected  the 
retu'rning  exiles.     Kzra  8  :  -.'i .  31 . 

Aliaz  {d'hdz),  seizer  or  possessor.  1.  The 
eleventh  king  of  Judah  ;  he  was  contempo- 
rarj-  with  the  prophets  Isaiah,  Hosea,  and 


AlLiZIAH 


OF  TEE  BIBLE. 


AHITHOPHEL 


Micah.  He  reigned  16  years.  If,  as  it  is  stated 
in  2  Kings  Iti :  2,  A.  V.,  Ahaz  'vas  20  years 
old  wlien  he  ascended  tiae  throne,  he  must 
have  been  the  father  of  Hezekiah  when 
eleven  years  of  age.  2  Kings  IS  :  2.  Here, 
however,  the  Septuagint  and  the  Syriac 
read  "  twenty-five  years  old."  2  Chron.  2b : 
1.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  idolatry 
and  contempt  of  the  true  God  ;  and  against 
him  many  of  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah  are 
directed.  He  died  b.  c.  726  ;  and  such  was 
his  impiety,  that  he  was  not  allowed  burial 
in  the  sepulchre  of  the  kings.    2  Kings  16  : 

I,  2,  20 ;  2  Chron.  28  : 1-27  ;  Isa.  7  : 1,  25.  2. 
A  descendant  of  Jonathan.  1  Chron.  8  :  35 ; 
9:42. 

Ahaziah  (d-ha-zVah),  whom  Jehovah 
holds.  1.  The  eighth  king  of  Israel;  he 
Avas  the  son  and  successor  of  Ahab.  He 
reigned  two  years,  alone  and  with  his 
father,  who  associated  him  in  the  kingdom 
the  year  before  his  death.  In  the  second 
year  of  his  reign  he  fell  through  the  lattice 
of  an  upper  apartment  of  his  palace,  and 
died  soon  after,  as  Elijah  had  foretold,  B.  c. 
895.  Ahaziah  imitated  the  impiety  of  his 
father  and  mother  in  the  worship  of  Baal 
and  Ashteroth.  1  Kings  22  :  40-51 ;  2  Kings 
1;  2  Chron.  20:35,  37.  2.  The  sixth  king 
of  Judah  ;  he  succeeded  his  father,  and 
reigned  only  one  year.  2  Kings  8  :  26.  In 
2  Chron.  22  : 2,  be  is  said,  by  an  error  of  the 
scribes,  to  have  been  "  forty-two  years  old  " 
when  he  began  to  reign,  which  would 
make  him  two  years  older  than  his  father. 
The  correct  age  is  "twenty-two,"  as  stated 
iu  2  Kings  8  :  16-26.  Ahaziah  was  governed 
by  his  idolatrous  mother  Athahah ;  he  re- 
ceived his  mortal  wound  by  the  command 
of  Jehu,  and  died  at  Megiddo,  b.  c.  883. 
2  Kings  9 :  27.  In  2  Chron.  22  : 9,  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  death  of  Ahaziah  ap- 
pear to  be  stated  differently :  but  the  ac- 
count is  only  more  full,  and  follows  the 
order  of  events.  Ahaziah  is  also  called 
"Jehoahaz,"  2  Chron.  21:17;  25:23;  and 
"  Azariah,"  2  Chron.  22 : 6. 

AhiaU  (a-hi'ah),  friend  of  Jehovah.  1. 
Supposed  by  some  to  be  the  same  with 
Ahimelech,  1  Sam.  21:1,  was  the  son  of 
Ahitab,  and  his  successor  in  the  priest's 
office.  1  Sara.  14 :  3,  18.  See  Ahimelech 
and  Aliitub.  2.  Ahiah  (A.  V.),  or,  Ahijah 
(R.  v.),  son  of  Shisha,  one  of  Solomon's 
scribes.  1  Kings  4:3.  3.  A  descendant 
of  Benjamin.    1  Chron.  8 : 7. 

Ahijah  (a-hVJah),  brotJier  or  friend  of  Je- 
fiovah.  1.  A  prophet  who  dwelt  in  Shiloh, 
in  the  reign  of  the  first  Jeroboam.  He  is 
thought  to  be  the  person  who  spoke  twice 
to  Solomon  from  God.    1  Kings  6  :  11 ;  11 : 

II,  29 ;  14  : 6 ;  2  Chron.  9  :  29.  2.  The  father 
of  Baasha.  1  Kings  15:27,33.  3.  One  of 
the  sons  of  Jerahmeel.  1  Chron.  2  :  25.  4. 
One  of  David's  distinguished  officers.  1 
Chron.  11::36.  5.  One  of  the  Levites.  1 
Chron.  26  :20.  6.  One  who  sealed  the  cov- 
enant.   Neh.  10 :  26. 

Ahikam  {a-hVkam),  brother  of  the  enemy. 
A  person  who  rescued  Jeremiah,  when  it 
was  proposed  to  give  him  into  the  hands  of 
the  people,  to  be  put  to  aeat  i.  2  Kings  22 : 
12-14 ;  25  :  22 ;  Jer.  26  :  24  ;  39  :  14. 


Ahimaaz  {a-hlm'a-uz),  brother  of  anger. 
I  1.  The  father  of  Ahinoam,  Saul's  wife.  1 
I  Sam.  14  :  50.  2.  The  son  of  Zadok  the  priest. 
i  He,  with  Jonathan,  Abiathar's  son,  con- 
I  trived  lo  bring  David  intelligence,  during 
Absalom's  rebellion,  of  Ahichophel's  coun- 
sel, and  Hushai's  endeavor  to  counteract  it. 
They  were  hid  in  a  well  and  escaped  cap- 
ture. 2  Sam.  15  :  27,  36  ;  17  :  15-22.  When  the 
royal  forces  had  gained  the  victory,  he  of- 
fered to  convey  the  news  to  David ;  but  his 
request  was  refused  by  Joab  because  of  Ab- 
salom's death.  After  Cushi  had  been  de- 
spa.tched,  Ahimaaz  again  solicited  permis- 
sion to  run,  and,  having  overcome  Joab's  re- 
luctance, he  started,  outran  Cushi,  and  ap- 
prised the  king  of  the  success  achieved. 
In  answer,  however,  to  the  inquiry  respect- 
ing Absalom,  he,  not  quite  truthfully,  re- 
plied that  he  had  seen  a  tumult,  but  "  knew 
not  what  it  was."  2  Sam.  18  :  19-30.  We 
hear  nothing  more  of  Ahimaaz,  and,  com- 
paring 1  Kings  4  :  2 ;  1  Chron.  6  : 8,  9,  53,  it 
seems  probable  that  he  died  before  his 
father,  and  was  never  high  priest.  3.  One 
of  Solomon's  commissariat  officers.  1  Kings 
4  :  15.  We  cannot  .suppose  this  person  iden- 
tical with  No.  2. 

Ahimelech  (a-hlm'el-ck),  brother  of  the 
king.  The  ninth  high  priest  of  the  Hebrews. 
He  dwelt  at  Nob,  and  was  the  intimate 
friend  of  David ;  on  this  account  he  was 
put  to  death  by  Saul,  together  with  all  the 
priests  that  were  with  him,  except  his  son 
Abiathar,  who  fled  to  David.  By  an  error 
of  the  scribes  he  is  called  "Ahimelech," 
1  Chron.  18  :  16  ;  also  "  Ahiah,"  1  Sam.  14 : 3 ; 
and  he  is  sometimes  confounded  with  Abi- 
athar.   1  Sam.  21 :  1,  2 ;  22  : 9. 

Ahinoam  (a-hrn'o-can,  or  d-hi-nd'am), 
brother  of  pleasantness.    1.  The  wife  of  Saul. 

1  Sam.  14 :  50.  2.  One  of  David's  wives. 
25  :  43 ;  27  : 3 ;  30  : 5 ;  2  Sam.  2  : 2 ;  3  : 2. 

Ahio  {a-hl'o),  brotherly.  1.  Son  of  Abin- 
adab.  2  Sam.  6  : 3,  4.  2.  A  descendant  of 
Benjamin.  1  Chron.  8  :  14.  3.  A  son  of  Je- 
hiel.    1  Chron.  8  :  31 ;  9  :  37. 

AhithopTiel  (a-htth'o-fd),  brother  of  folly. 
A  native  of  Giloh,  a  city  of  Judah,  David's 
trusted  counsellor,  1  Cliron.  27  :  33,  34,  who 
was  induced  to  join  the  party  of  Absalom. 

2  Sam.  15  :  12.  31,  34.  His  advice  was  in- 
tended to  make  the  breach  irreparable  be- 
twixt the  father  and  the  son ;  and,  had  his 
counsel  immediately  to  pursue  David  been 
followed,  it  is  possible  that  the  king  would 
have  been  cut  off  before  he  reached  the 
Jordan.  But  by  God's  providence  Hushai's 
counterplan  was  preferred  by  Absalom ; 
and  Ahithophel,  foreseeing  the  defeat  of 
the  rebellion,  retired  to  his  own  citv  and 
hanged  himself  2  Sam.  16:15;  17:23. 
Some  have  endeavored  to  account  for 
Ahithophel's  treason  by  the  supposition 
that,  as  it  seems  likely  he  was  Bath-she- 
ba's  grandfather,  he  wished  to  revenge 
on  David  the  evil  done  to  her.  But  this  is 
not  reasonable.  The  success  of  Absalom 
would  probably  have  been  fatal  to  Bath- 
sheba;  it  would  certainly  have  barred  Sol- 
omon, Ahithophel's  great-grandson,  from 
the  throne.  Perhaps  there  may  be  a  refer- 
ence in  Ps.  41  : 9 ;  55  :  12-14,  to  Ahithophel, 

19 


AHITUB 


PEOPLES  DICTIONARY 


ALEXAlN'DRIA 


and  possibly  through  him  to  a  yet  worse 
traitor,  Judas. 

Aliitub  (a-hl'tub),  brother,  i.  e.,  friend,  of 
goodness.  1.  The  grandson  of  Eli,  and  father 
of  Ahiah  or  Ahimelech.  1  Sam.  14  : 3 ;  22  : 
9,  11,  12,  20.  We  do  not  know  whether  he 
ever  exercised  the  functions  of  high  priest. 
2.  The  father,  or,  possibly,  grandfather  of 
Zadok.  2  Sam.  8 :  17  ;  1  Chron.  6:7,  8,  52 ; 
9  :  11 ;  18  :  16  ;  Ezra  7:2;  Neh.  11  :  11.  It  is 
probable  from  Neh.  11 :  11  that  he  was 
actually  high  priest. 

Aliolali  {a-hO'lah),  she  has  her  oum  tent. 
A  symbolical  name  for  Samaria.  Ezek.  23 : 
4,  5*  36,  44. 

Aholiab  {a-hd'li-ah),  tent  of  his  father. 
An  artificer  of  the  tribe  of  Dan  employed 
with  Bezaleel  in  the  construction  of  the 
tabernacle.  Exod.  31 : 6 ;  35 :  34 ;  36  : 1,  2 ; 
38 :  23. 

Aholibah  {a-hol'i-bah  or  a-ho'li-bah),  my 
tabernacle  is  in  her.  A  symbolical  name  for 
Judah.    Ezek.  23  : 4,  11,  22,  36,  44. 

Aliuzzath  {a-huz'zath),  possession.  A 
friend  of  Abimelech,  king  of  Gerar.  Gen. 
26 :  26. 

Ai  (d'f),  heap  of  ruins.  1.  A  city  of  the 
Canaanites,  Gen.  13  :3,  where  it  is  "  Hai  " 
in  the  Authorized  Version,  but  Ai  in  the 
Revised  Version.  Taken  by  Joshua.  Josh. 
7:2-5;  8  : 1-29.  Also  called  Aiath,  Isa.  10  : 
28,  and  Aija  in  the  A.  V.  and  R.  V.,  Neh.  11 : 
31.  Abraham  pitched  liis  tent  between 
Hai  and  Bethel.  Gen.  12  : 8.  The  city  of 
Ai  was  east  of  Bethel,  and  about  nine  miles 
north  of  Jerusalem.  It  is  named  38  times 
in  the  Bible.  2.  A  city  of  the  Ammonites, 
not  far  from  Heshbon.    Jer.  49  : 3. 

Ain  {d'in),  eye,  spring.  1.  A  place,  or 
probably  a  fountain,  and  one  of  the  laud- 
marks  on  the  eastern  boundary  of  Canaan. 
Num.  34  :  11.  It  is  now  known  as  Ain  el- 
Azy,  a  remarkable  spring,  one  of  the  sources 
of  the  Orontes,  and  about  ten  miles  west 
of  Riblah.  2.  A  city  of  southern  Palestine, 
first  gi^•en  to  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  32 ;  afterward 
assigned  to  Simeon,  Josh.  19:7;  and  then 
to  the  Levites,  Josh.  21  :  16  ;  1  Chron.  4  :  32. 
The  same  place  as  Aslian,  1  Chron.  6  :  59 ; 
and  possibly  as  En-rimmon,  Neh.  11  :  29. 

Ajalon  (dj-a-lon),  or  Aijalon  (di'ja-lon), 
place  of  gazelles.  1.  A  town  in  the  tribe  of 
Dan,  assigned  to  the  Levites,  sons  of  Ko- 
hath.  Josh.  19  :  42 ;  21 :  24 ;  Judg.  1 :  S5,  and 
a  city  of  refuge.  It  was  not  far  from  Tim- 
nath,  and  was  taken  by  the  Philistines  from 
Ahaz.  2  Chron.  28  :  18.  It  lay  on  the  south 
side  of  a  fine  valley,  not  far  from  the  val- 
ley of  Gibeon,  and  is  recognized  in  the 
modern  village  of  Yalo,  near  the  road  to 
Jaffa,  some  14  miles  from  Jerusalem.  The 
valley  is  the  place  where  Joshua  com- 
manded the  sun  and  moon  to  stand  still, 
and  they  obeyed  him.  Josh.  10  :  12 ;  see 
also  1  Sam.  14  :  31.  2.  A  town  in  Benjamin, 
some  three  miles  east  of  Bethel.  It  was 
fortified  by  Rehoboam.  2  Chron.  11 :  10. 
Some  regard  this  as  the  same  place  as  the 
above,  in  possession  of  different  tribes  at 
different  times.  1  Chron.  6  :  66,  69.  3.  In 
the  tribe  of  Zebulun,  the  place  of  Elon's 
burial.    Judg.  12:12. 

Akrabbim    {a-krdb'bim),    scorpions.      A 

20 


range  of  hills  on  the  south  border  of  Judah 
towards  the  southern  extremity  of  the 
Dead  Sea ;  which  seems  to  have  been  in- 
fested with  scorpions  and  serpents.  Deut. 
8  :  15 ;  Num.  34  : 4  ;  Judg.  1 :  36.  Instead  of 
"the  ascent  of  Akrabbim,"  we  have  in  the 
Hebrew  the  name  "  Maaleh-Acrabbim," 
scorpion  heights,  in  Josh.  15  •  3. 

Alabaster.  What  is  usually  called  ala- 
baster is  a  kind  of  soft  gypsum,  properly 
sulphate  of  lime.  But  the  alabaster  of 
which  jars  and  vases  were  usually  made 
was  finer  grained,  opaque,  and  usually 
white,  but  frequently  shaded  with  other 
soft  colors;  hence  sometimes  called  onyx 
marble,  which  is  properly  a  carbonate  of 
lime.  Several  vases  of  alabaster  have  been 
found  in  Egj'pt,  varj'ing  in  form  and  size ; 
one  of  which,  bearing  the  name  and  title 
of  thequeenof  Thothmes  11.,  had  ointment 
in  it,  which  had  retained  its  odor  for  sev- 
eral centuries.  In  Mark  14  : 3  the  phrase 
"  she  brake  the  box,"  is  simply,  "  she  brake 
the  alabaster,"  i.  e.,  the  vase  so  called  ;  and 
merely  refers  to  the  breaking  of  the  seal 
which  closed  the  vase,  and  kept  the  per- 
fume from  evaporation.  Watt.  26  : 7  ;  Luke 
7  :  37. 

Alexander  (dl-egz-dn'der),  strong  man, 
or  helper  of  men.  1.  The  son  of  Simon. 
Mark  15  :  21.  2.  A  member  of  the  coiuicil. 
Acts  4:6.  3.  A  Jew  of  Ephesus.  Acts  19  : 
34.  4.  A  coppersmith,  and  an  apostate  from 
Christianity.  1  Tim.  1 :  19,  20 ;  2  Tim.  4  : 
14. 

Alexandria  (dl-egz-au'dri-a).  The  Gre- 
cian capital  of  Egypt,  founded  by  and 
named  after  Alexander  the  Great,  B.  c.  332. 
It  was  a  noted  seaport  of  Lower  Egypt,  and 
was  situated  on  a  low,  narrow  tract  of  land 
which  divides  Lake  Mareotis  from  the 
Mediterranean,  and  near  the  western  mouth 
of  the  Nile,  about  120  miles  from  the  pres- 
ent city  of  Cairo.  Soon  after  its  founda- 
tion bv  Alexander,  it  became  the  capital 
of  the"  Ptolemies  and  the  Grecian  kings 
reigning  in  Egypt,  and  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ulous and  prosperous  cities  of  the  East. 
Its  liarbor  could  accommodate  vast  navies, 
fitting  it  to  become  the  commercial  metrop- 
olis of  the  entire  Eastern  world.  In  front 
of  the  city,  on  the  island  of  Pharos,  stood 
a  famous  lighthouse,  named  after  the  island 
and  noted  as  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of 
the  world.  Alexandria  numbered,  in  the 
davs  of  its  ancient  prosperity,  800,000  in- 
habitants, half  of  them  slaves,  and  ranked 
next  to  Athens  in  literature.  It  had  the 
greatest  library  of  ancient  times,  which 
contained  upward  of  700,000  rolls  or  vol- 
umes. The  portion  in  the  museum,  con- 
sisting of  400,000  volumes,  was  burnt  in 
B.  c.  47.  The  additional  or  "new  hbrary" 
in  the  Serapeum,  afterward  increased  to 
about  500,000  volumes,  including  the  orig- 
inal 300,000  volumes,  was  destroyed  by  the 
fanatical  vandalism  of  the  Saracens  in  a.  d. 
640.  At  Alexandria  the  Old  Testament  was 
translated  into  the  Greek  by  70  learned 
Jews— hence  called  the  "  Septuagint "— in 
the  third  centuiy  before  the  Christian  era. 
The  Alexandrian  Greek  dialect,  knoM'ii  as 
Hellenistic  Greek,  was  the  language  used 


ALEXANDRIANS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ALTAR 


by  the  early  Christian  fathers,  and  is  still 
the  study  of  the  biblical  scholar  in  the 
pages  of  the  New  Testament.  Alexandria 
was  the  birthplace  of  Apollos,  Acts  18  :  24, 
and  in  the  apostle  Paul's  time  it  carried 
on  an  extensive  commerce  with  the  conn- 
tries  on  the  ^Mediterranean.  Acts  6:9;  27  : 
6 ;  28  :  11.  In  Alexandria  originated  the 
Arian  heresy  denying  that  Jesus  Christ  was 
divine,  and  there  Athanasius,  the  "  father 
of  orthodoxy,"  firmly  opposed  the  false 
and  defended  the  true  doctrine  of  the  deitv 
of  our  Lord.  From  a.  d.  300  to  600  the  city 
■was  second  only  to  Rome  in  size  and  im- 
portance, and  was  the  chief  seat  of  Chris- 
tian theology.  It  was  conquered  by  the 
Saracens  under  Caliph  Omar  about  a.  d. 
640,  when  it  began  to  decline.  The  rising 
importance  of  Constantinople,  and  the  dis- 
covery of  an  ocean  passage  to  India  by  way 
of  Cape  Good  Hope,  contributed  to  its  further 
ruin,  until  it  was  reduced  from  a  prosper- 
ous city  of  500,000  to  a  poor  village  of  only 
5000  to  6000  inhabitants.  It  is  now  an  im- 
portant city  of  240,000  inhabitants— includ- 
ing 50,000  Franks— and  is  connected  with 
Cairo  by  a  railway,  and  also  with  Suez,  on 
the  Red  Sea.  Among  the  ancient  monu- 
ments to  be  seen  are  the  Catacx^mbs,  the 
Column  of  Diocletian,  94  feet  high  and 
named  "Pompey's  Pillar"— not  from  the 
famous  Pompey,'but  from  a  Roman  prefect 
who  erected  the  column  in  honor  of  the 
emperor  Diocletian— and  one  of  the  two 
obelisks  or  "  Needles  of  Cleopatra,''  which, 
however,  belong  to  the  time  of  the  Phara- 
ohs and  were  brought  from  Heliopohs. 
The  obehsk  on  the  embankment  of  the 
Thames,  London,  and  the  one  in  Central 
Park,  New  York,  once  stood  at  Alexan- 
diia. 

Alexandrians  (Al-egz-dn'dri-anz).  A 
synagogue  of  these  is  mentioned.  Acts  6  : 
9.  There  are  said  to  have  been  460  or  480 
synagogues  in  Jerusalem.  It  was  reason- 
able, therefore,  to  expect  that  Alexandria, 
where  so  many  Jews  dwelt,  would  have  a 
special  synagogue  for  their  worship  in  Jeru- 
salem.   ' 

Algum.    2  Chron.  2  : 8.    See  Almug:. 

Alleluia.    Rev.  19  : 1.    See  Halleluiah. 

Almond  Tree.  Gen.  43:11.  This  tree 
resembles  a  peach  tree,  but  is  larger.  In 
Palestine  it  blossoms  in  January,  and  in 
March  has  fruit.  Its  blossoms  are  pinkish- 
white.  Its  Hebrew  name  signifies  to  watch 
and  hasten,  and  to  this  there  is  an  allusion 
in  Jer.  1 :  11,  12.  Aaron's  rod  was  from  an 
almond.  Num.  17  : 8.  In  Eccl.  12  : 5  the 
hoary  head  is  beautifully  compared  with 
the  almond  tree,  either  on  account  of  its 
whiteness,  beauty  and  winter  blossoming, 
or  the  hastening  on  of  decay.  The  golden 
bowls  of  the  sacred  candlestick  were  made 
"  like  almonds,  with  their  knops  and  their 
flowers."    Exod.  25  :  33,  34. 

Alms,  Alms  Deeds.  The  word  is  not 
found  in  the  Authorized  Version  of  the 
Old  Testament,  but  is  frequent  in  the  New 
Testament.  The  duty  was,  however,  en- 
joined very  strictly  upon  the  Jews,  who 
by  law  were  required  alwavs  to  leave  glean- 
ings in  the  fields  that  the  pl)or  might  be 
2 


fed.  Lev.  19  -.  9,  10 ;  23  :  22 ;  Dent.  15  :  11 ; 
24  :  19 ;  26  : 2-13 ;  Ruth  2  : 2.  Every  third 
year  the  tithe  of  the  produce  of  the  farmers 
was  to  be  shared  with  the  Levite,  the  fath- 
erless, the  stranger,  and  the  widow.  Deut. 
14  :  28.  Alms-giving  is  a  subject  of  praise 
in  the  Old  Testament— e.  g.,  Job  31 :  17 ;  Ps. 
41 : 1,  and  112  :  9.  In  the  temple  there  was 
one  box  for  the  reception  of  alms  to  be 
dedicated  to  the  education  of  the  poor  chil- 
dren of  good  family.  Alms-giving  was  a 
part  of  Pharisaic  practice.  Our  Lord  did 
not  rebuke  them  for  it,  but  for  their  self- 
satislaction  in  the  performance.  Matt. 
6  : 2.  In  Acts  10  :  31 ;  Rom.  15  :  25-27 ;  1  Cor. 
16  :•  1-4  the  Christian  mode  of  reUeving  the 
wants  of  others  is  set  forth. 

Almug  Trees,  1  Kings  10 :  11 ;  or  Al- 
guni  Trees.  2  Chron.  2 : 8.  Two  fonns 
of  the  same  word.  One  of  the  kinds  of 
timber  which  Solomon  ordered  from  Tyre 
for  the  building  of  the  temple.  Jew'ish 
historians  describe  it  as  a  fine,  white,  glossy 
wood,  and  it  was  used  for  musical  instru- 
ments, and  the  ornamental  work  of  the 
temple.  Sandal  wood  answers  best  to  the 
descriptio.i  in  the  passage  cited.  Dr.  Shaw 
supposes  it  to  have  been  what  we  call  the 
cypress,  which  is  still  used  for  harpsichords 
and  other  stringed  instruments. 

Aloe.  An  odoriferous  tree,  called  also 
"  hgn  aloe."  Num.  24  : 6  ;  Ps.  45  : 8 ;  Pro  v. 
?  :  17 ;  Song  of  Sol  4  :  14.  The  aroma  of  the 
tree  proceeds  from  its  resin,  especially 
when  decaying.  Aloe  wood  is  useful  for 
perfuming  rooms  and  clothing.  We  find  it 
also  mixed  with  myrrh,  used  in  burial. 
John  19  :  39. 

Alpha  (ul'phah).  The  first  letter  of  the 
Greek  alphabet,  corresponding  to  Aleph, 
the  first  Hebrew  letter.  These  letters  were 
used  as  numerals.  Alpha  therefore  denotes 
one,  the  first.  And,  as  Omega  is  the  last 
Greek  letter,  our  Lord  calls  himself  Alpha 
and  Omega,  the  first  and  the  last,  implying 
his  diA-ine  eternity.  Rev.  1 : 8,  11 ;  2i  :  6 ; 
22  :  13  ;  comp.  Isa.  44  : 6. 

Altar.  Noah  built  an  altar  Avhen  he 
left  the  ark.  Gen.  8  :  20.  In  the  early  times 
altars  were  usually  built  in  certain  spots 
hallowed  by  rehgious  associations,  e.  g., 
Avhere  God  appeared.  Gen.  12  : 7 ;  13  :  18 ; 
26:25;  35:1.  Though  generally  erected 
for  the  offering  of  sacnfice,  in  some  in- 
stances thev  appear  to  have  been  onlv  me- 
morials. Gen.  12  : 7  ;  Ex.  17  :  15,  16.  Altars 
were  most  prol^ably  originally  made  of 
earth.  The  law  of  Moses  allowed  them  to 
be  mtide  of  either  earth  or  unhewn  stones. 
Exod.  20 :  24,  25.  I.  The  altar  of  burnt 
offering.  It  differed  in  construction  at 
different  times.  In  the  tabernacle,  Ex. 
27:1  ff.;  38:1  ff.,  it  was  comparatively 
small  and  portable.  In  shape  it  was 
square.  It  was  five  cubits  in  length, 
the  same  in  Ireadth,  and  three  cubits 
high.  It  Avas  made  of  planks  of  shittim 
or  acacia  Avood  overlaid  Avith  brass. 
The  interior  Avas  holloAV.  Ex.  27  : 8. 
At  the  four  cornei-s  Avere  four  projec- 
tions called  horns,  made,  hke  the  altar 
itself,  of  shittim  Avood  overlaid  Avith  brass, 
Ex.  27 ;  2,  and  to  them  the  victim  Avas 
21 


AMALEK 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


AMEN 


bound  when  about  to  be  sacrificed.  Ps. 
118  :  27.  Round  the  altar,  midway  between 
the  top  and  bottom,  ran  a  prqjectan^  ledge, 
on  which  perhaps  the  priest  stood  when 
officiating.  To  the  outer  edge  of  this, 
again,  a  grating  or  network  of  brass  was 
affixed,  and  reached  to  the  bottom  of  the 
altar.  At  the  four  corners  of  the  network 
were  four  brazen  rings,  into  which  were 
inserted  the  staves  by  which  the  altar  Avas 
carried.  These  staves  were  of  the  same 
materials  as  the  altar  itself.  As  the  priests 
were  forbidden  to  ascend  the  altar  by  steps, 
Ex.  20 :  26,  it  has  been  conjectured  that  a 
slope  of  earth  led  gradually  up  to  the  ledge 
from  which  they  officiated.  The  place  of 
the  altar  was  at  "the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle of  the  congregation."  Ex.  40:29. 
In  Solomon's  temple  the  altar  was  con- 
siderably larger  in  its  dimensions.  It  dif- 
fered too  in  the  material  of  which  it  was 
made,  being  entirely  of  brass.  1  Kings  8  : 
64 ;  2  Chron.  7:7.  It  had  no  grating,  and 
instead  of  a  single,  gradual  slope,  the  as- 
cent to  it  A\as  probably  made  by  three 
successive  platfonns,  to'  each  of  which  it 
has  been  supposed  that  steps  led.  The 
altar  erected  by  Herod  in  front  of  the  tem- 

I)le  was  15  cubits  m  height  and  50  cubits  in 
ength  and  breadth.  According  to  Lev.  6  : 
12,  13,  a  perpetual  fire  was  to  be  kept  burn- 
ing on  the  altar.  II.  The  altar  of  incense, 
called  also  the  golden  altar  to  distinguish 
it  from  the  altar  of  burnt  offering,  which 
was  called  the  brazen  altar.  Ex.  38 :  30. 
That  in  the  tabernacle  was  made  of 
acacia  wood,  overlaid  with  pure  gold.  In 
shape  it  was  square,  being  a  cubit  in  length 
and  breadth  and  two  cubits  in  height. 
Like  the  altar  of  burnt  offering  it  had 
horns  at  the  four  corners,  which  were  of 
one  piece  with  the  rest  of  the  altar.  This 
altar  stood  in  the  holy  place,  "  before  the 
vail  that  is  bv  the  ark  of  the  testimony." 
Ex.  30 : 6  ;  40  :  5.  The  altar  of  Solomon's 
temple  was  similar,  1  Kings  7:48;  1 
Chron.  28 ;  18,  but  was  made  of  cedar 
overlaid  with  gold.  In  Acts  17  :  23  refer- 
ence is  made  to  an  altar  to  an  unknown 
god.  There  were  several  altars  in  Athens 
with  this  inscription,  erected  during  the 
time  of  a  plague,  since  they  knew  not  what 
god  was  offended  and  required  to  be  pro- 
pitiated. In  the  New  Testament  the  word 
altar  does  not  occur  in  connection  Avith 
Christian  worship.  Altar,  sacrifice,  priest, 
and  temple,  being  typical  of  Christ  and  the 
Christian  dispensation,  have  passed  away. 
Their  work  was  done  when  the  oftering  of 
the  body  of  Jesus  Christ  once  was  made. 
For,  by  one  offering,  he  hath  perfected  for 
ever  them  that  are  sanctified.  Heb.  10  : 9, 
10, 14. 

Amalek  (dm'n-Uk),  people  of  prey,  booty. 
The  son  of  Ehyihaz,  and  grandson  of 
Esau.  Gen.  36  :  16 ;  1  Chron.  1 :  36.  He  was 
probably  the  father  of  the  Amalekites, 
an  ancient  and  powerful  people.  Gen.  14 : 
7 ;  Num.  24  :  20,  who  inhabited  the  regions 
on  the  south  of  Palestine,  between  Idumea 
and  Egypt,  and  also  to  the  eastward  of  the 
Dead  Sea  and  Mount  Seir.  Judg.  5  :  14 ;  12  : 
15 ;  1  Sam.  15  : 5.  The  Hebrews  had  scarcely 
22 


passed  the  Red  Sea,  when  the  Amalekites 
attacked  them;  they  were  defeated  by 
Joshua.  Ex.  17  : 8.  Saul  destroyed  them  as 
a  nation,  1  Sam.  15  : 2-33,  and  David  utterly 
routed  them.  1  Sam.  30  :  17.  A  small  rem- 
nant seems  to  have  escaped,  till  at  last  the 
word  of  the  Lord  was  fulfilled,  and  their 
name  was  blotted  from  the  earth,  in  their 
utter  destruction.  Num.  24  :  20 ;  1  Chron.  4 : 
43.  The  "Agagite,"  in  Esth.  3  : 1, 10  ;  8:3,  5, 
was  probably  an  Amalekite,  whose  ancestor 
had  escaped  from  the  general  carnage. 

Auiana  [am'a-nah,  or  a-md'nah),  peren- 
nial. 1.  Margin,  same  as  Abana  or  Abanai^ 
(R.  V.)  2  Kings  5  :  12.  See  Abana.  2.  A 
ridge  or  peak  of  the  Lebanon  range,  in 
which  the  river  Amana  or  Abana  has  its 
source.    Song  of  Sol.  4  : 8. 

Aniasa  (am'a-sah),  burden.  1.  A  kins- 
man of  David,  and  chief  captain  in  Absa- 
lom's rebel  anny.  David  pardoned  Amasa, 
but  he  was  assassinated  bv  Joab.  2  Sam. 
17  :  25  ;  19  :  13 ;  20 : 9,  10 ;  1  Chron.  2  :  17. 
2.  A  descendant  of  Ephraim.  2  Chron.  28  ; 
12. 

Ainasai  {a-mCis'a-l  or  Cim'a-sd-i),  burden- 
some. 1.  A  Levite,  one  of  the  sons  of  Elka- 
nah.  1  Chron.  6  :  25.  2.  A  chief  of  the 
captains  who  joined  David  in  the  desert 

1  Chron.  12  -.  18.  3.  One  of  the  Levites.  1 
Chron.  15 :  24.     4.  The  father  of  Mahath. 

2  Chron.  29  :  12. 

Amaziali  {am-a-zVah),  whom  Jehovah 
strengthens.  1.  The  son  and  successor  of 
Jehoash,  or  Joash,  king  of  Judah.  He  Avas 
25  years  old  at  his  accession,  and  he  reigned 
29  years,  838-809  B.  c.  His  conduct  Avas,  at 
finst,  unexceptionable ;  but  he  afterAvards 
declined  from  God's  laAV,  and  brought  mis- 
fortune and  judgment  upon  himself  and 
his  kingdom.  The  historj-  does  not  tell  us 
that  he  repented ;  for  the  consequences 
of  his  idolatry  still  pursued  him.  His  OAvn 
subjects  conspired  against  him,  and,  Avhen 
he  fled  to  Lachish,  sleAV  him  there.  He  Avas 
succeeded  bA'  his  son  Azariah,  or  Uzziah. 
2  Kings  14  : 1-21 ;  2  Chron.  25.  2.  ASimeon- 
ite.  1  Chron.  4  :  .34.  3.  A  Levite.  1  Chron. 
6  :45.  4.  An  idolatrous  priest  of  the  golden 
calf  at  Bethel,  in  the  reign  of  Jeroboam  II. 
Amos  7  :  10-17. 

Amber.  Ezek.  1 : 4, 27  ;  8:2.  Most  likely 
the  substance  called  ^' amber"  in  our  Aver- 
sions is  not  that  Avhich  is  now  known  by 
that  name.  It  is  rather  a  metal.  Some 
have  believed  it  a  mixture  of  brass  (or  cop- 
per) and  gold,  or  brass  A\ith  a  gold-like 
brilhancy. 

Amen  {d-m.ni'\,  firm,  Jaithfid,  verily.  The 
proper  signification  of  this  Avord  is  that 
one  person  confirms  the  A\ords  of  another, 
and  expresses  his  Avish  for  the  success  and 
accomphshment  of  the  other's  a^oavs  and 
declarations.  Thus  it  is  used  in  Num.  5 : 
22 ;  Deut.  27  :  15-26  ;  1  Kings  1 :  36 ;  Jer  28  : 
6.  Also  after  ascriptions  of  praise,  Ps.  106  : 
48;  and  in  A.  V.  of  Matt.  6  :12.  but  omitted 
in  R.  V.  Again,  Ave  find  it  at  the  beginning 
of  a  sentence,  to  signify  the  firm  certainty 
of  Avhat  Avas  about  to  be  said,  as  very  fre- 
quently in  our  Lord's  addresses  (Matt.  25 . 
40 ;  John  3:3,  5,  11,  and  in  other  places), 
Avhere  it  is  usually  rendered  "  verily."  The 


AMETHYST 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


AMORITES 


promises  of  the  gospel,  too,  are  said  to  be 
'•yea,  and  amen,"  2  Cor.  1:20,  to  indicate 
their  stability.  And  once  the  word  is  used 
as  a  proper  name,  Rev.  3 :  14,  appUed  to 
him  from  whose  hps  every  syllable  is  as- 
sured truth ;  so  that,  though  heaven  and 
earth  should  pass,  nothing  that  he  has 
spoken  can  remain  unaccomphshed.  Matt. 
24:35. 

Amethyst.  One  of  the  precious  stones 
In  the  high  priest's  sacred  breast-plate.  Ex. 
28  :  19 ;  39 :  12.  The  oriental  amethyst  is  a 
gem  of  great  hardness  and  lustre,  violet, 
and  occasionally  red ;  the  occidental  ame- 
thyst is  a  variety  of  quartz,  of  much  beauty, 
but  not  difficult  to  cut.  This  stone  had  its 
Hebrew  name,  ahldmah,  from  its  supposed 
property  of  inducing  dreams.  Its  Greek 
name,  from  which  the  English  word  comes. 
Implied  that  it  was  a  chann  against  drunk- 
enness. The  amethyst  is  mentioned  as  one 
of  the  foundations  of  the  New  Jerusalem. 
Rev.  21 :  20. 

Aniininadab  (am-mln'a-ddb),  kindred  of 
the  prince.  1.  The  son  of  Ram  or  Aram, 
who  Avas  great-grandson  of  .Judah.  His 
daughter,  Elisheba,  was  the  wife  of  Aaron ; 
and  his  son  Naashon,  orNahshon,  prince  of 
Judah  in  the  wilderness.  Ex.  6  :  23 ;  Num.  1 : 
7 ;  2  : 3 ;  7  :  12, 17  ;  10  :  14  ;  Ruth  4  :  19,  20 ;  1 
Chron.2:10.  2.  A  son  of  Kohath.  1  Chron. 
6 :  22.  This  is  possibly  a  transcriber's  error,  as 
elsewhere  generally,  Ex.  6  :  18 ;  1  Chron.  6  : 
2,.  18,  he  is  called  Izhar.  3.  The  chief  in 
David's  time  of  the  sons  of  Uzziel,  a  Levite, 
son  of  Kohath.    1  Chron.  15  :  10,  11. 

Amminadib,  companions  of  the  prince. 
Tliis  occurs  in  Song  of  Sol.  6  :  12.  But  in  the 
margin  it  is  my  willing  peoj^le,  A.  V. ;  my 
princely  people,  R.  V.,  and  probably  the 
word  should  not  be  taken  as  a  proper  name. 

Amnion,  Ammonites,  Children  of 
Ammon  {dm'mon,  dm'mon-ltes),  strong  peo- 
ple, or,  perhaps,  the  same  as  Ben-ammi, 
son  of  my  kindred.  A  people  descended 
from  Ben-ammi,  the  son  of  Lot  by  his 
younger  daughter.  Gen.  19  :  38  ;  comp.  Ps. 
83 :  7,  8,  as  JNIoab  was  by  the  elder ;  and 
dating  from  the  destruction  of  Sodom.  The 
near  relation  between  the  two  peoples  in- 
dicated in  the  story  of  their  origin  contin- 
ued throughout  their  existence.  Comp. 
Judg.  10 : 6  ;  2  Chron.  20  : 1 ;  Zeph.  2  : 8,  etc. 
Indeed,  so  close  was  their  union,  and  so 
near  their  identity,  that  each  would  appear 
to  be  occasionally  spoken  of  under  the 
name  of  the  other.  Unhke  Moab,  the  pre- 
cise position  of  the  territory  of  the  Am- 
monites is  not  ascertainable.  In  the  ear- 
Uest  mention  of  them,  Deut.  2 :  20,  they 
are  said  to  have  destroyed  the  Rephaim, 
whom  they  called  the  Zamzummim,  and  to 
have  dwelt  in  their  place,  Jabbok  being 
their  border.  Num.  21 :  24 ;  Deut.  2  :  37 ;  3  : 
16.  "  Land,"  or  "  country,"  is,  however,  but 
rarely  ascribed  to  them,  nor  is  there  any 
reference  to  those  habits  and  circumstances 
of  civilization,  wliich  so  constantly  recur 
in  the  allusions  to  Moab.  Isa.  15,  Vo  ;  Jer. 
48.  On  the  contrary-,  we  find  everj'where 
traces  of  the  fierce  habits  of  marauders  in 
their  incursions.  1  Sam.  11 : 2 ;  Amos  1 :  13. 
It  appears  that  Moab  was  the  settled  and 


civilized  half  of  the  nation  of  Lot,  and 
that  Ammon  formed  its  predatory  and  Be- 
douin section.  On  the  west  of  Jordan  they 
never  obtained  a  footing.  The  hatred  in 
which  the  Ammonites  were  held  by  Israel 
is  stated  to  have  arisen  partly  from  their 
opposition,  or,  rather,  their  denial  of  as- 
sistance, Deut.  23 : 4, 5,  to  the  Israehtes  on 
their  approach  to  Canaan.  But  whatever 
its  origin  the  animosity  continued  in  force 
to  the  latest  date.  The  tribe  was  governed 
by  a  king,  Judg.  11 :  12,  etc. ;  1  Sam.  12  :  12 ; 
2  Sam.  10  : 1 ;  Jer.  40  :  14 ;  and  by  "  princes," 
2  Sam.  10:3;  1  Chron.  19:3.  It  has  been 
conjectured  that  Nahash,  1  Sam.  11 : 1 ;  2 
Sam.  10  : 2,  was  the  official  title  of  the  king 
as  Pharaoh  was  of  the  Egyptian  monarchs ; 
but  this  is  without  any  sure  foundation. 
The  divinity  of  the  tribe  was  :NIolech,  gen- 
erally named  in  the  Old  Testament  under 
the  a'ltered  form  of  Milcom— "  the  abomi- 
nation of  the  cliildren  of  Ammon;"  and 
iSIalcham.  Zeph.  1 : 5.  In  more  than  one 
passage  under  the  Avord  rendered  "their 
king"  in  the  A.  V.  an  allusion  is  intended 
to  this  idol. 

Amnon  {am'non),  faithful.  The  eldest 
son  of  David,  by  Ahinoam  of  Jezreel.  2  Sam. 
3 : 2.  He  is  knoAvn  only  by  liis  guilt  in  vio- 
lating his  half-sister  Tamar ;  for  Avhich  Ab- 
salom, two  years  after,  caused  him  to  be 
assassinated," 2  Sam.  13,  thus  also  getting  an 
elder  brother  out  of  his  Avay  to  the  throne. 

Anion  {a'mon),  an  Egyptian  divinity, 
Avhose  name  occurs  in  that  of  No-amon, 
Nah.  3:8  R.  V.,  but  in  A.  V.  "populous 
No,"  or  Thebes,  also  called  No.  The  Greeks 
called  this  diAanity  Ammon.  The  ancient 
Egyptian  name  is  Amen.  Amen  Avas  one  of 
the  eight  gods  of  the  first  order,  and  chief  of 
the  triad  of  Thebes.  He  was  Avorshiped  at 
that  city  as  Amen-ra,  or  "  Amen  the  sun." 

Anion  (d'nion),  builder.  King  of  Judah, 
son  and  successor  of  Manasseh,  reigned  tAvo 
years  from  b.  c.  642  to  640.  Following  his 
father's  example,  Amon  devoted  himself 
Avholly  to  the  service  of  false  gods,  but  Avas 
killed  in  a  conspiracy.  The  people  avenged 
him  by  putting  all  the  conspirators  to  death, 
and  secured  the  succession  to  his  son  Jo- 
siah.  To  Amon's  reign  Ave  must  refer  the 
terrible  picture  Avhich  the  prophet  Zephan- 
iah  gives  of  the  moral  and  rehgious  state 
of  Jerusalem.  2.  A  governor  of  Samaria. 
1  Kings  22  :  26.    3.  A  person  also  called  Ami. 

Amorites  {dm'o-rltes),  mountaineers.  Gen. 
10  :  16.  A  Syrian  tribe  descended  from  Ca- 
naan, and  among  the  most  formidable  of 
the  tribes  Avith  Avhom  the  Israehtes  con- 
tended. They  Avere  of  gigantic  stature  and 
great  courage,  Amos  2 : 9,  and  inhabited 
one  of  the  most  fertile  districts  of  the  coun- 
try, being  bounded  on  three  sides  by  the 
rivers  Arnon,  Jabbok,  and  Jordan.  The 
Israelites  asked  permission  of  the  king  to 
travel  through  their  territory,  promising  to 
injure  nothing,  not  even  to  draw  Avater 
from  their  Avells ;  but  the  request  was  re- 
fused. The  Amorites  collected  and  at- 
tempted to  oppose  their  progress,  but  Avere 
totally  defeated,  and  their  territory  taken 
and  divided  betAveen  the  tribes  of  Reuben 
and  Gad. 

23 


AMOS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ANGEL 


Amos  {d'mos),  burden.  1.  The  third  of 
the  minor  prophets  was  a  sliepherd  of  Te- 
koa,  a  small  town  of  Judah.  He  prophe- 
sied concerning  Israel,  in  the  days  of  Uz- 
ziah,  king  of  Judah,  and  Jeroboam  the 
Second,  king  of  Israel,  about  B.  c.  790.  The 
book  of  Amos  takes  a  high  rank  among 
the  writings  of  the  prophets.  The  writer 
must  have  been  a  man  of  some  education, 
as  is  evident  from  his  observations  relating 
to  geography,  history,  and  astronomy.  He 
is  full  of  fancy  and  imagery,  concise,  and 
yet  simple  and  perspicuous.  Amos  1 : 1,  7, 
10-17.  2.  A  son  of  Nahum,  R.  V.,  or  Naum, 
A.  v.,  of  Luke  3 :  25. 

Ampliipolis  (am-flp'o-Us),  around  the 
city.  A  chief  city  of  the  southern  portion 
of  Macedonia  under  the  Romans.  The 
river  Strymon  flowed  on  three  sides  of  the 
city,  hence  its  name.  It  was  33  miles  south- 
west of  Phihppi,  and  three  miles  from  the 
sea.  Paul  and  Silas  passed  through  it. 
Acts  17  : 1.  Neo-khorio,  or  Newtown,  a  vil- 
lage of  about  100  houses,  now  occupies  a 
portion  of  the  site  of  Amphipohs. 

Amrapliel  {dm'ra-fd),  keeper,  or  highest 
of  the  gods.  Perhaps  a  Hamite  king  of  Shi- 
nar  or  Babylonia,  who  joined  the  victorious 
incursion  "of  the  Elamite  Chedorlaomer 
against  the  kings  of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah 
and  the  cities  of  the  j'lain.    Gen.  14  : 1. 

Anakini  (dn'a-khn),  long-necked,  i.  e., 
men  of  tall  stature.  Anak,  the  son  of  Arba, 
had  three  sons,  who  were  giants,  and  were 
founders  of  a  Canaanitish  tribe,  famous  for 
their  stature  and  fierceness.  The  seat  of 
the  tribe  before  the  invasion  by  the  He- 
brews was  in  the  vicinity  of  Hebron. 
They  were  nearly  extirpated  by  the  He- 
brews so  that  only  a  few  remained  after- 
wards in  the  cities  of  the  Philistines,  Num. 
13  :  22 ;  Deut.  9:2;  Josh.  11 :  21,  22 ;  14  :  15 ; 
and  Jer.  47 : 5,  which  in  the  Septuagint 
reads  :  "  O  remnant  of  the  Anakim  "  that  is 
cut  off. 

Anammelecli.    See  Adramnialech. 

Ananias  {dn-a-7il'as),  whom  Jehovah  cov- 
ers, i.  e.,  protects.  1.  A  high  priest  in  Acts 
23 : 2-5 ;  24  : 1.  He  was  the  son  of  Nebe- 
daeus,  succeeded  Joseph  son  of  Camydus, 
and  preceded  Ismael  son  of  Phabi.  He 
was  nominated  to  the  office  by  Herod  king 
of  Chalcis,  in  a.  d.  48  ;  Avas  deposed  shortly 
before  Felix  left  the  province,  and  assassin- 
ated by  the  sicarii  at  the  beginning  of  the 
last  Jewish  war.  2.  A  false  disciple  at  Je- 
rusalem, husband  of  Sapphira.  Acts  5  : 1- 
11.  Having  sold  his  goods  for  the  benefit  of 
the  church,  he  kept  back  a  part  of  the  price, 
bringing  to  the  apostles  the  remainder,  as 
if  it  were  the  whole,  his  wife  also  being 
privy  to  the  scheme.  Peter  denounced 
the  fraud,  and  Ananias  fell  down  and  ex- 
pired. 3.  A  Jewish  disciple  at  Damascus, 
Acts  9  :  10-17,  of  high  repute,  Acts  22 :  12, 
who  sought  out  Saul  during  the  period  of 
bhndneBS  and  dejection  which  followed 
his  conversion,  and  announced  to  him  his 
future  commission  as  a  preacher  of  the  gos- 
pel. Tradition  makes  him  to  have  been 
afterwards  bishop  of  Damascus,  and  to  have 
died  by  martyrdom. 

Anathema  {a-nCdh'e-mah),  set  apart,  sep- 
24 


arated,  devoted.  This  Greek  word  repre- 
sents a  Hebrew  phrase  which  generally 
denoted  among  the  Jews  the  absolute,  irrev- 
ocable and  entire  separation  of  a  person 
from  the  communion  of  the  faithful,  or 
from  the  privileges  of  society,  or  from  the 
number  of  the  hving ;  or  the  devoting  of 
any  man,  animal,  city  or  tiling,  to  be  extir- 
pated, destroyed,  consumed,  and,  as  it  were, 
annihilated.  Josh.  6  :  17-21 ;  7  : 1-26.  An- 
other kind  of  anathema,  very  pecuharly  ex- 
pressed, occurs  in  1  Cor.  16:22:  "  If  any 
man  love  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  let  him 
he  anathema.  Maranatha."  This  last  word  is 
made  up  of  two  Syro-Chaldaic  words,  sig- 
nifying "Th?;  Lord  cometh;  "  that  is,  the 
Lord  will  surely  come,  and  will  execute 
this  curse  by  condemning  those  who  love 
him  not. 

Anathotli  {dn'a-thOth],  ansu'crs  or  echoes. 
A  Levitical  city  in  Benjamin,  Josh.  21 :  18 ; 
1  Chron.  6  :60 ;  the  birthplace  of  Jeremiah, 
Jer.  1:1;  11 :  21,  23 ;  32  : 7-9 ;  on  the  route 
of  the  Assyrians,  Isa.  10 :  30  ;  some  of  its 
people  returned  with  Zerubbabel,  Ezra  2 : 
23 ;  Neh.  7  :  27. 

Andrew  {dn'dru),  manly.  One  of  the 
apostles,  the  brother— whether  older  or 
younger  is  not  known— of  Simon  Peter, 
with  whom  it  would  seem  he  lived.  Mark 
1 :  29.  He  was  of  Bethsaida,  and  became  one 
of  the  disciples  of  John  the  Baptist,  at  whose 
word  he  followed  Jesus,  and  afterwards 
brought  his  brother  Simon.  John  1 :  40- 
44.  The  order  in  wliich  Andrew  is  named 
varies  in  different  places ;  but  generally  he 
stands  next  after  the  three  chiefs,  and  is 
associated  wath  Pliihp.  There  are  but  a 
few  scattered  notices  of  him  in  the  evan- 
gehc  histor>\  Mark  13  : 3  ;  John  6  : 8,  9  ; 
12  :  22.  After  the  resurrection  he  is  enu- 
merated with  the  rest  of  the  eleven  fActs 
1 :  13) ;  and  then  we  hear  no  more  of  nim. 
Tradition  has  been  busy  with  his  later  his- 
torj' ;  and  he  is  said  to  'have  been  crucified 
at  Patrse  in  Achaia,  on  a  cross  formed  like 
the  letter  X,  which  has  hence  been  called 
"  St.  Andrew's  Cross." 

Angel.  Gen.  24 : 7.  The  word  for  angel, 
both  in  the  Greek  and  Hebrew  languages, 
signifies  a  messenger,  and  in  this  sense  is 
often  applied  to  men.  2  Sam.  2:5;  Luke 
7  :  24  and  9  :  52.  When  the  term  is  used,  as 
it  generally  is,  to  designate  spiritual  beings, 
it  denotes  the  office  they  sustain  as  the 
agents  by  Avhom  God  makes  known  his 
will  and  executes  his  government.  Our 
knowledge  of  such  beings  is  derived  wholly 
from  revelation,  and  that  rather  incident- 
ally. We  know,  from  their  residence  and 
employment,  that  they  must  possess  knowl- 
edge and  purity  far  beyond  our  present 
conceptions,  and  the  titles  apphed  to  them 
denote  the  exalted  place  they  hold  among 
created  intelligences.  Christ  did  not  come 
to  the  rescue  of  angels,  but  of  men.  Comp. 
Heb.  2  :  16.  The  angels  are  represented  as 
ministering  spirits  .sent  forth  to  do  ser\'ice 
to  the  heirs  of  salvation.  Heb.  1 :  14.  They 
appear  at  every  important  stage  in  the  his- 
tory of  revelation,  especially  at  the  birth 
of  Christ,  Luke  2  : 9-13 ;  in  his  agony  in 
Gethsemane,  Luke  22  :  43  ;  at  his  resurree- 


ANISE 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ANOINTING 


tion,  Matt.  28:2;  Mark  16:5;  Luke  24:4, 
and  at  the  final  judgment,  Matt.  13 :  41.  Of 
tiieir  appearance  and  employment  we  may 
form  some  idea  from  the  folloHving  passages, 
viz.,  Gen.  16  : 7-11.  Compare  Gen.  18  : 2 ;  19 : 
1,  with  Heb.  13 : 2 ;  Judg.  13  : 6  ;  Ezek.  10 ; 
Dan.  3 :  28  and  6  :  22 ;  Matt.  4  :  11 ;  18  :  10 
and  28 : 2-7  ;  Luke  1 :  19 ;  16  :  22  and  22 :  43 ; 
Acts  6  :  15 ;  12 : 7 ;  Heb.  1 :  14 ;  2 :  16  ;  2  Thess. 
1:7;  Kev.  10 : 1,  2,  6.  Of  their  number 
some  idea  mav  be  inferred  from  1  Kings  22 : 
19;  Pi<.  68:17;  Dan.  7:10;  Matt.  26:53; 
Luke  2  : 9-14 ;  1  Cor.  4:9;  Heb.  12 :  22.  Of 
their  strength  we  may  judge  from  Ps.  103 : 
20 ;  2  Pet.  2 :  11 ;  Rev.  5:2;  18 :  21 ;  19  :  17. 
And  we  learn  their  inconceivable  activitv 
from  Judg.  13  :  20;  Isa.  6:2-6;  Matt.  13  :49 ; 
26  :  53 ;  Acts  27  :  23 ;  Rev.  8 :  12, 13 ;  but  the 
R.  V.  reads  "eagle"  in  verse  13.  There  is 
also  an  order  of  evil  spirits  ministering  to 
the  will  of  the  prince  of  darkness,  and  both 
active  and  powerful  in  their  opposition  to 
God.  Matt.  25  :41.  Thougli  Scripture  does 
not  warrant  us  to  affirm  that  eacla  individ- 
ual has  his  particular  guardian  angel,  it 
teaches  very  explicitlvthat  angels  minister 
to  everv  Christian.  Matt.  18 :  10 ;  Ps.  91 :  11, 
12 ;  Luke  15  :  10 ;  Acts  12 :  15 ;  Heb.  1 :  14. 
Tliey  are  the  companions  of  the  saved. 
Heb.  12 :  22,  23 ;  Rev.  5 :  11.  They,  are  to 
sustain  an  important  office  in  the  future 
and  final  administration  of  God's  govern- 
ment on  earth.  Matt.  13:39;  25:31-33;  1 
Thess.  4 :  16.  But  they  are  not  proper  ob- 
jects of  adoration.  Col.  2 :  18 ;  Rev.  19  :  10. 
Angel  of  his  Presence,  Isa.  63 : 9,  by  some 
is  supposed  to  denote  the  highest  angel  in 
heaven,  as  Gabriel,  who  stands  "in  the 
presence  of  God,"  Luke  1:19;  but  others 
believe  it  refers  to  the  incarnate  Word. 
Angel  of  the  Lord,  Gen.  16 : 7,  is  consid- 
ered, by  some,  one  of  the  common  titles 
of  Christ  in  the  Old  Testament.  Ex.  23  : 
20.  Compare  Acts  7  :  30-32  and  37,  38.  An- 
gel of  the  church.  Rev.  2  : 1.  The  only 
true  interpretation  of  this  phrase  is  the  one 
whicla  makes  the  angels  the  rulers  and 
teachers  of  the  congregation,  so  called  be- 
cause they  were  the  ambassadors  of  God  to 
the  churches,  and  on  them  devolved  the 
pastoral  care  and  government. 

Anise,  a  well-known  annual  herb,  re- 
sembUng  caraway,  etc.,  but  more  fragrant. 
The  plant  mentioned  in  Matt.  23 :  23  was  no 
doubt  the  dill,  which  grows  in  Palestine, 
and  was  titlied  by  scrupulous  Jews. 

Anna  {dn'ndli),  grace,  a  prophetess, 
daughter  of  Phanuel,  of  the  tribe  of  Asher. 
Luke  2  :  36.  Her  husband  having  died 
after  she  had  been  married  seven  years, 
she  devoted  herself  to  the  Lord,  and  was 
very  constant  in  her  attendance  on  the 
services  of  the  temple.  She  did  not,  how- 
ever, live  in  the  temple  itself  At  84  years 
of  age  she  hstened  to  tlie  prophetic  bless- 
ing which  Simeon  uttered  when  he  held 
the  infant  Redeemer  in  his  arms,  and 
joined  in  it  with  great  fervor. 

Annas  {cm'nas),  answer,  response.  The 
son  of  Seth,  and  a  high  priest  of  the  Jews. 
He  was  appointed  by  Quirinus,  governor 
of  Syria,  a.  n.  7,  and  "was  removed  by  Va- 
lerius Gratus,  procurator  of  Judsea,  a.  b.  23. 


The  office  was  originally  held  for  hfe,  but 
in  JudEea's  degenerate  arid  dependent  posi- 
tion it  wag  one  of  the  spoils  of  office,  to  be 
given  to  the  ruler's  favorite,  and  to  be 
taken  away  upon  the  loss  of  favor.  After 
his  deposition  Annas  continued  to  hold  the 
title ;  and  although  Caiaphas,  his  son-in- 
law,  was  the  actual  high  priest,  he  was  the 
ruling  power.  This  explains  the  reference 
in  Luke  3 :  2.  This  power  he  retained  for 
nearly  fifty  years,  having  had  five  sons  in 
succession  in  the  high  priest's  office.  Our 
Lord  Avas  brought  first  before  Annas  on  the 
night  of  his  seizure.  John  18 :  13,  24.  The 
guilt  of  Christ's  crucifixion  rests  most  upon 
Annas,  since  Pilate  tried  to  shield  him,  and 
Caiaphas  was  but  Annas'  tool.  Annas  is 
mentioned  as  the  president  of  the  San- 
hedrin,  before  whom  Peter  and  John  were 
brouglit.    Acts  4  : 6. 

Anointing  in  Holy  Scripture  is  either: 
I.,  with  oil ;  or  II.,  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  I. 
With  oil.  1.  Anointing  the  body  or  head  with 
oil  was  a  common  practice  with  the  Jews, 
as  with  other  oriental  nations.  Deut.  28 :  40 ; 
Ruth  3:3;  Micah  6  :  15.  Abstinence  from  it 
was  a  sign  of  mourning.  2  Sam.  14  : 2 ;  Dan. 
10  :  3 ;  Matt.  6  :  17.  Anointing  the  head. 
Avitii  oil  or  ointment  seems  also  to  have 
been  a  mark  of  respect  sometimes  paid  by 
a  host  to  his  guests.  Luke  7  :  46  and  Ps. 
23  : 5.  The  bodies  of  the  dead  were  often 
anointed,  not  with  a  view  to  preserve  them 
from  corruption,  but  to  impart  a  fragrancy 
to  the  hnen  in  which  the  corpse  was 
wrapped.  Mark  14 :  8  ;  16  : 1 ;  Luke  23 :  56 ; 
John  19  :  39,  40.  2.  Anointing  with  oil  was 
a  rite  of  inaugtu-ation  into  eacla  of  the 
three  typical  offices  of  the  Jewish  common- 
wealth, (a)  Prophets  were  occasionally 
anointed  to  their  office,  1  Kings  19 :  16,  and 
are  called  messiahs,  or  anointed.  1  Chron. 
16  :  22 ;  Ps.  105 :  15.  (b)  Priests,  at  the  first 
institution  of  the  Levitical  priesthood,  were 
all  anointed  to  their  offices,  the  sons  of 
Aaron  as  well  as  Aaron  himself,  Ex.  40  :  15 ; 
Num.  3:3;  but  afterwards,  anointing  seems 
not  to  have  been  repeated  at  the  consecra- 
tion of  ordinary  priests,  but  to  have  been 
especially  reserved  for  the  high  priest,  Ex. 
29:29;  Lev.  16:32;  so  that  "tlie  priest 
that  is  anointed,"  Lev.  4:3,  is  generally 
thought  to  mean  the  high  priest,  (c)  Kings. 
Anointing  was  the  principal  and  divinely 
appointed  ceremonv  in  the  inauguration  of 
the  Jewish  kings. '  1  Sam.  9  :  16  ;  10  : 1 ;  1 
Kings  1 :  34,  39.  The  rite  was  sometimes 
performed  more  than  once.  David  was 
thrice  anointed  to  be  king.  After  the  sep- 
aration into  two  kingdoms,  the  Idngs  both 
of  Judah  and  of  Israel  seem  still  to  have 
been  anointed.  2  Kings  9:3;  11 :  12.  (d) 
Inanimate  objects  also  were  anointed  with 
oil  in  token  of  their  being  set  apart  for  re- 
ligious service.  Tlius  Jacob  anointed  a 
pillar  at  Bethel,  Gen.  31  :  13 ;  and  at  tlie  in- 
troduction of  the  Mosaic  economy,  the 
tabernacle  and  all  its  furniture  were  con- 
secrated by  anointing.  Ex.  30 :  26-28.  3. 
Ecclesiastical.  Anointing  with  oil  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord  is  prescribed  by  James 
to  be  used  together  with  prayer,  by  the 
elders  of  the  churcii,  for  the  recovery  of 
25 


^TICHRIST 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


APHARSATHCHITES 


the  sick.  Jas.  5:14.  Analogous  to  this  is 
the  auointing  with  oil  practised  by  the 
twelve.  Mark  6  :  13.  II.  With  the  Holy 
Ghost.  1.  In  the  Old  Testament  a  Deliv- 
erer is  promised  under  the  title  of  Messiah. 
or  Anointed,  Ps.  2:2 ;  Dan.  9 :  24-26  ;  and 
the  nature  of  his  anointing  is  described  to 
be  spiritual,  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  Isa.  61 : 
1 ;  see  Luke  4  :  18.  In  the  New  Testament 
.Jesus  of  Nazareth  is  shown  to  be  the  Mes- 
siah or  Christ,  or  anointed  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, John  1  :  41 ;  Acts  9  :  22 ;  17  : 2,  3 ;  18  : 
4,  5,  28 ;  and  the  historical  fact  of  liis  being 
anointed  with  the  Holv  Ghost  is  asserted 
and  .recorded.  Acts  10  :  38 ;  4  :  27  ;  John  1 : 
32,  33.  2.  Spiritual  anointing  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  conferred  also  upon  Chris- 
tians bv  God,  2  Cor.  1 :  21,  and  they  are 
described  as  having  an  unction  from  the 
Holy  One,  by  which  they  know  all  things. 
1  John  2: 20,  27. 

Anticlii'ist.  This  term  is  employed  by 
the  apostle  John  alone,  who  defines  it  in  a 
manner  which  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  its 
meaning.  Its  application  is  less  certain. 
In  the  first  passage— 1  John  2  :  18— in  which 
it  occurs,  the  apostle  makes  direct  reference 
to  the  false  Christs  whose  coming,  it  had 
been  foretold,  should  mark  the  last  days. 
In  verse  22  we  find,  "  he  is  antichrist,  that 
denieth  the  Father  and  the  Son ;  "  and  still 
more  positively,  "every  spirit  that  confes- 
seth  not  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the 
flesh  is  of  antichrist."  Comp.  2  John  7. 
From  these  definitions  it  has  been  supposed 
that  the  object  of  the  apostle  in  his  first 
epistle  was  to  combat  the  errors  of  Cerin- 
thus,  the  Docetse  and  the  Gnostics,  who 
denied  the  union  of  the  divine  and  human 
nature  in  Christ.  The  coming  of  Antichrist 
was  believed  to  be  foretold  in  the  "vile 
person"  of  Daniel's  prophecy,  Dan.  11:21, 
which  received  its  first  accomphshment  in 
Antiochus  Epiphanes,  but  of  which  the 
complete  fulfillment  was  reserved  for  the 
last  times.  He  is  identified  with  "  the  man 
of  sin,  the  son  of  perdition."  2  Thess.  2  : 3. 
This  interpretation  brings  Antichrist  into 
close  connection  with  the  gigantic  power 
of  evil,  symbolized  by  the  "  beast,"  Rev.  13, 
who  received  his  power  from  the  dragon 
{%.  e.,  the  devil,  the  serpent  of  Genesis),  who 
was  invested  with  the  kingdom  of  the  ten 
kings.  Rev.  17  :  12, 17.  The  destruction  of 
Babylon  is  to  be  followed  by  the  rule  of 
Antichrist  for  a  short  period.  Rev.  17  :  10,  to 
be  in  his  turn  overthrown  in  "  the  battle  of 
that  great  day  of  God  Almighty,"  Rev.  16  : 
14,  with  the  false  prophet  and  all  his  fol- 
lowers. Rev.  19.  The  personaUty  of  Anti- 
christ is  to  be  inferred  as  well  from  the  per- 
sonaUty of  his  historical  precursor,  as  from 
that  of  him  to  whom  he  stands  opposed. 
Such  an  interpretation  is  to  be  preferred  to 
that  which  regards  Antichrist  as  the  em- 
bodiment and  personification  of  all  powers 
and  agencies  inimical  to  Christ,  or  of  the 
A-ntichristian  might  of  the  world.  But  the 
language  of  the  apostles  is  obscin-e,  and  this 
obscurity  has  been  deepened  by  the  con- 
flicting 'interpretations  of  expositors.  All 
that  the  dark  hints  of  the  apostles  teach  us 
is,  that  they  regarded  Antichrist  as  a  power 


whose  influence  was  beginning  to  be  felt 
even  in  their  time,  but  whose  full  develop- 
ment was  reserved  till  the  passing  away  of 
the  principle  which  hindered  it,  and  the 
destruction  of  the  power  symbolized  by  the 
mystical  Babylon.  The  word  antichrist 
does  not  always  mean  openly  opposed  to 
Christ,  but  putting  something  in  the  place 
of  Christ.  Any  person  teaching  any  way  to 
God,  excepting  through  Christ,  is  Anti- 
christ. Any  person  teaching  any  way  of 
salvation,  excepting  through  the  blood  of 
Christ,  is  Antichrist.  John  says  that  in  his 
day,  "Now  are  there  many  antichrists." 
1  John  2  :  18.  The  papal  church,  putting  its 
traditions  in  the  place  of  the  Scriptures, 
putting  the  Virgin  Mary,  the  saints,  the 
Pope,  the  priest,  good  works,  the  mass,  pur- 
gatory, etc.,  as  the  way  of  salvation,  in 
place  of  salvation  by  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  is  pre-eminently  Antichrist. 

Antioch  {d7i'ti-6k),  place  that  withstands 
(from  Antiochus).  The  name  of  two  cities 
in  New  Testament  times.  1.  Antioch  in 
Syria,  Acts  11 :  19,  22,  founded  by  Seleucus 
Nicator,  about  300  b.  c,  and  enlarged  by 
Antiochus  Epiphanes.  This  city  was  about 
300  miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  on  the  left 
bank  of  the  river  Orontes,  16%  miles  from 
the  Mediterranean,  in  a  deep  pass  between 
the  Lebanon  and  the  Taurus  ranges  of 
mountains.  At  Antioch  the  disciples  were 
first  called  Christians,  Acts  11 :  26 ;  it  was  an 
important  centre  for  the  spread  of  the  gos- 
pel. Acts  13 ;  from  it  Paul  started  on  his 
missionarj'  journeys.  Acts  15  :  35,  36  ;  18  :  22, 
23;  important  principles  of  Christian  faith 
and  practice  were  raised  and  settled  through 
the  church  at  Antioch.  Acts  14  :  26,  27  ;  15  : 
2-30 ;  Gal.  2  :  11-14.  It  was  made  a  "  free  " 
city  by  Pompey,  was  beautified  by  the  em- 
perors with  aqueducts,  baths,  and  public 
buildings ;  and  in  Paul's  time  it  ranked 
third  in  population,  wealth  and  commer- 
cial activity  among  the  cities  of  the  Roman 
empire.  Christianity  gained  such  strength 
there,  that  in  the  time  of  Chrysostom,  who 
was  born  at  Antioch,  one-half  of  the  200,000 
inhabitants  of  the  city  were  Christians. 
The  old  town,  which  was  five  miles  long, 
is  now  represented  by  a  mean,  shrunken- 
looking  place  of  about  6000  population, 
called  Antakieh.  2.  Antioch  in  or  near 
Pisidia  was  also  founded  or  rebuilt  by  Seleu- 
cus Nicator.  It  was  situated  on  a  ridge — 
Strabo  calls  it  a  "  height  "—near  the  foot 
of  the  mountain-range,  and  by  the  north- 
ern shore  of  Lake  Eyerclir.  Paul  preached 
there,  Acts  13:14;  i4:21,  and  was  perse- 
cuted by  the  people.  2  Tim.  3  :  11.  There 
were  at  least  sixteen  cities  of  the  name  of 
Antioch  in  Syria  and  Asia  Minor. 

Antipatris  [dn-ti])'a-tris),  for  the  father. 
A  city  of  Palestine,  situated  in  the  midst  of 
a  fertile  and  well-watered  plain,  between 
Ceesarea  and  Lydda,  called  by  Josephus, 
"  the  plain  of  Caphar  Saba."  It  was  re- 
built by  Herod  the  Great,  and  called  "Antip- 
atris,"'in  honor  of  his  father,  Antipater. 
Its  ancient  splendor  has  passed  away  ;  it  is 
now  marked  by  the  ruins  called  Ras-el  Ain, 
Acts  23 :  31. 

Apharsathcliites,    Apliarsites,       A* 


APHEK 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


APOSTLE 


pharsacliites  {a-fdr'sath-kltes,  a-fcir'sUes, 
a-fdr'sak-lten).  Colonists  from  Assyria  to 
Samaria.    Ezra  -1:9;  5:6  ;  6:6. 

Apliek  {d'fek),  strength.  The  name  of 
several  towns.  1.  A  royal  city  of  the  Ca- 
naanites  whose  king  was  slain  by  Joshua. 
Josh.  12:18.  It  was  near  Hebron,  and 
probably  the  same  as  Aphekah.  Josh.  15  : 
53.  2.  A  city  of  Asher,  Josh.  19  :  30,  in  the 
north  of  Palestine,  near  Sidon,  Josh.  13  : 4 ; 
supix)sed  to  be  the  same  as  Aphik,  Judg.  1 : 
31,  and  the  classical  Aphaca,  noted  in  later 
history  for  its  temple  of  Venus ;  now  Afka, 
near  Lebanon.  3.  A  place  where  the  Phil- 
istines encamped  before  the  ark  was  taken, 
1  Sam.  4  : 1,  northwest  of  Jerusalem  and 
near  Shocho,  now  Belled  el-Foka.  4.  A 
place  near  Jezreel,  in  Issachar,  where  the 
Philistines  were,  before  defeating  Saul,  1 
Sam.  29 : 1,  and  cannot  be  identihed  with 
No.  3,  as  some  have  suggested.  5.  A  walled 
city  in  the  plains  of  Syria,  on  the  road  to 
Damascus.  1  Kings  2U  :  26,  3U ;  2  Kings  13  : 
17.  It  was  about  six  miles  east  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee ;  now  called  Fik. 

Apocrypha.  The  name  given  gener- 
ally to  certain  ancient  books  and  parts  of 
books  often  appended  to  the  scriptures  of 
the  Old  Testament,  some  of  which  are  held 
by  the  Roman  Catholic  church  to  be  of 
canonical  and  divine  authority.  The  West- 
minster Confession  and  the  Church  of  Eng- 
land allow  the  books  to  be  read  for  exam- 
ple of  life  and  instruction  of  manners  ;  but 
yet  doth  not  apply  them  to  estabhsh  any 
doctrine.  They  are  regarded  as  human 
writings,  not  inspired.    Thev  are  : 

The  third  book  of  Esdras  ')       [Esdras 

The  fourth  book  of  Esdras  J      1  and  2.] 

The  book  of  Tobias  [TobitJ, 

The  book  of  Judith. 

The  Rest  of  the  book  of  Esther. 

The  book  of  Wisdom. 

Jesus  the  son  of  Sirach  [Ecclesiasticus]. 

Baruch  the  Prophet. 

The  Song  of  the  Three  Children. 

The  Story  of  Susanna. 

Of  Bel  and  the  Dragon. 

The  Prayer  of  Manasses. 

The  first  book  of  Maccabees. 

The  second  Ijook  of  Maccabees. 

There  are  also  some  apocryphal  writings 
claiming  a  place  among  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament ;  but,  as  these  have  never 
been  recognized  in  the  Christian  church, 
they  require  no  notice  here. 

Apolionia  {ap-pol-lo'ni-a),  belongmg  to 
Apollo.  The  name  of  several  places  in  Eu- 
rope and  Asia,  of  which  Apolionia  in  Illy- 
ria  was  the  most  celebrated.  But  the  Apol- 
ionia through  w'hich  Paul  passed.  Acts  17  : 
1,  was  a  city  of  jNIacedonia,  about  36  miles 
east  of  Thessalonica,  and  30  miles  south- 
west of  Amphipolis. 

Apollos  (a-pol'los),  probably  abbreviated 
from  Apollonios,  given  by  Apollo.  A  Jew 
from  Alexandria,  eloquent  (which  may  also 
mean  learned)  and  mighty  in  the  Scrip- 
tures :  one  instructed  in  the  way  of  the 
Lord,  as  taught  by  the  dis(;iples  "of  John 
the  Baptist.  Acts  'l8  :  25.  On  his  coming 
to  Ephesus  during  a  temporary  absence 
of  Paul,  Apollos  w^as  more  perfectly  taught 


by  Aquila  and  Priscilla.  After  this  he 
preached  the  gospel,  lirst  in  Achaia  and 
then  in  Corinth,  Acts  18  :27  ;  19  :1 ;  where 
he  watered  that  which  Paul  had  planted, 
1  Cor.  3  : 6.  When  Paul  wrote  his  first  Epis- 
tle to  the  Corinthians,  Apollos  was  with  or 
near  him,  1  Cor.  16  :  12,  probably  at  Ephe- 
sus in  A.  D.  57.  He  is  mentioned  once  more 
in  the  New  Testament.  Tit.  3  :  13.  Some 
suppose  Apollos  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the 
Hebrews. 

Apollyon.    Rev.  9  :  11.    See  Abaddon. 

Apostle.  The  official  title,  implying 
messenger,  of  the  twelve  disciples  whom 
our  Lord  chose,  "that  they  should  be  with 
him,  and  that  he  might  send  them  forth  to 
preach."  These  twelve  were  arranged  in 
three  groups,  Simon  Peter  and  his  brother 
Andrew,  with  James  and  John,  the  two 
sons  of  Zebedee;  then  Phihp,  Bartholo- 
mew%  Thomas,  and  Matthew ;  and,  lastly, 
James,  the  son  of  Alpheus,  Lebbeus  (called 
Thaddeus,  Judas,  and  Jude),  Simon  Zelotes 
or  the  Canaanite,  and  Judas  Iscariot. 
Matt.  10  : 1-4  ;  Mark  3  :  13-19 ;  Luke  6  :  12- 
16  ;  comp.  Acts  1 :  13.  While  IMatthew  nar- 
rates the  sending  forth  of  the  ajjostles  to 
preach,  Mark  and  Luke  describe  the  choice 
of  them ;  and  this  choice,  it  appears,  was 
made  upon  a  mountain,  not  improbably 
that  well-known  horned  hill  of  Kattin 
where  also  the  notable  sermon  on  the 
mount  was  probably  dehvered.  Some  time 
after  their  appointment  the  apostles  were 
sent  forth  to  preach  and  perform  miracles, 
a  special  charge  being  given  them.  ]\Iatt. 
10:1,  5-42;  Mark  6:7-13;  Luke  9:1-6. 
They  generally,  however,  accompanied 
their  Master,  witnessed  his  mighty  w^orks, 
heard  the  explanation  of  his  parables,  and 
were  the  selected  company  at  the  institu- 
tion of  the  last  supper.  One,  however, 
Judcis,  betrayed  him ;  and  when  Jesus  was 
seized  they  "all  forsook  him.  Matt.  26  :  47- 
56.  One  or  two  had  courage  to  attend  his 
examination,  John  18  :  15, 16,  and  one  was 
present  at  his  execution.  John  19  :  26.  But, 
so  far  as  appears,  they  took  no  part  in  the 
Lord's  burial,  and  could  hardly  be  per- 
suaded that  he  was  risen.  After  his  resur- 
rection, the  eleven,  the  traitor  having  hung 
himself,  had  frequent  interviews  with  him, 
and  witnessed  his  ascension.  Luke  24  :  50, 
51.  According  to  their  Master's  command, 
they  continued  at  Jerusalem,  waiting  for 
the'promised  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  One 
was  appointed  to  fill  the  place  of  Judas. 
The  Scripture  account  is  as  follows:  "His 
bishopric  let  another  take.  Wherefore  of 
these  men  which  have  companied  with  us 
all  the  time  that  the  Lord  Jesus  went  in 
and  out  among  us,  beginning  from  the  bap- 
tism of  John,  unto  that  same  day  that  he 
was  taken  up  from  us,  must  one  be  or- 
dained to  be  a  witness  with  us  of  his  resur- 
rection." Matthias  was  chosen  bv  lot  to  fill 
the  place  of  Judas.  Acts  1 :  20-26.  After 
the  day  of  Pentecost  the  apostles  were  no 
longer"  fearful  and  temporizing;  they 
preached  boldly  in  the  name  of  Jesus. 
They  took  the  lead,  as  the  acknowledged 
heads  of  the  movement,  verses  12,  13,  de- 
voted themselves  to  ministerial  labor,  Acts 
27 


APPII  FORUM 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ARABIA 


6:2-4,  exercised  peculiar  powers,  8:14-18, 
and  had  primary  authority  in  the  church. 
Acts  9  :  27  ;  15  :  2  ;  1  Cor.  9:1;  12  :  28 ; 
2  Cor.  10 :  8 ;  12  :  12 ;  Gal.  1  :  17  ;  2:8,  9. 
Two  centres  and  two  departments  of  apos- 
tohc  working  are  described  in  the.Acts  of 
the  Apostles ;  from  Jerusalem  among  the 
Jews  bv  Peter,  from  Antioch  by  Paul 
among  the  Gentiles.  For  Paul  was  extraor- 
dinarily appointed  to  the  apostleship  by 
Christ,  Gal.  1:1;  and  others  seem  to  have 
been  added,  as  Barnabas,  Acts  14  :  14 ;  and 
according  to  the  belief  of  some  writers 
many  more.  Scripture  says  but  little  of 
the  'personal  history  of  most  of  the  apos- 
tles ;  but  what  is  known  of  each  will  be 
found  under  their  respective  names.  The 
title  is  once  given  to  our  Lord.    Heb.  3  : 1. 

Appii  Forum  {dp'py-t-fd'rum),  forum,  or 
warket-place  of  Appiu>f.  A  well-known  sta- 
tion on  the  Appian  road,  which  led  from 
Rome  to  Capua.  It  doubtless  derived  its 
name  from  Appius  Claudius,  who  con- 
structed the  road.  It  was  about  43  Roman 
miles  from  Rome,  and  its  site  is  marked  by 
some  ruins  near  Treponti.  A  body  of  Chris- 
tians from  Rome  met  Paul  at  this  place. 
Acts  28  :  15. 

Apple  Tree,  Apple  (Heb.  tappMch). 
Apple  tree  is  named  in  the  English  Versions 
in  Song  of  Sol.  2:3;  8:5,  and  Joel  1  :  12, 
The  fiTiit  of  this  tree  is  alluded  to  in  Prov. 
25  :  11  and  Song  of  Sol.  2 : 5 ;  7  : 8.  It  is  dif- 
ficult to  say  wliat  tree  is  intended  by  the 
Hebrew  word  tappuach.  The  apple  proper 
is  rare  in  Syria,  and  its  fruit  poor.  Some 
writers  sav  the  Hebrew  word  means  either 
the  quince  or  the  citron ;  others  speak  of 
the  apricot,  which  is  abundant  and  de- 
liciouslv  perfumed.  On  the  other  hand. 
Dr.  Royle  says,  "The  rich  color,  fragrant 
odor  and  handsome  appearance  of  the 
citron,  whether  in  flower  or  in  fruit,  are 
particularly  suited  to  the  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture mentioned  above."  Neither  the  quince 
nor  the  citron  nor  the  apple  appears  fully 
to  answer  all  the  scriptural  allusions.  The 
orange  would  answer  all  the  requirements 
of  the  scriptural  passages,  and  orange  trees 
are  foimd  in  Palestine ;  but  it  is  not  certain 
that  this  tree  was  known  in  the  earlier 
times  to  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine.  The 
question  of  identification,  therefore,  must 
still  be  counted  unsettled. 

Apples  of  Sodom.  Found  on  the  shores 
of  the  Dead  Sea;  hke  a  cluster  of  oranges, 
yellow  to  the  eye,  and  soft  to  the  touch ; 
but  on  pressure' they  explode  with  a  puff, 
leaving  only  shreds  'of  the  rind  and  fibres. 
The  Arabs  twist  the  silk  into  matches  for 
their  guns.  Compare  "vine  of  Sodom" 
and  "  grapes  of  gall "  in  Deut.  32  :  32. 

Aquila  {dk'wi-lah),  an  eagle.  A  Jew 
of  Pontus  whom  Paul  found  at  Corinth  on 
his  arrival  from  Athens.  Acts  18  : 2.  He 
had  fled,  with  his  wife  Priscilla,  from  Rome, 
in  consequence  of  an  order  of  Claudius 
commanding  all  Jews  to  leave  the  city. 
He  became  acquainted  with  Paul,  and  they 
abode  together,  and  wrought  at  their  com- 
mon trade  of  making  the  Cihcian  tent  or 
hair  cloth.  On  the  departure  of  the  apostle 
from  Corinth,  a  year  and  six  months  after, 
28 


Priscilla  and  Aquila  accompanied  him  to 
Ephesus.  There  they  remained,  and  there 
they  taught  Apollos.  Acts  18  :  18,  19,  24-26. 
At  what  time  they  became  Christians  is 
uncertain,  but  they  appear  to  have  speci- 
ally helped  Paul,  and  to  have  labored  in 
Rome.    Rom.  16  : 3-5. 

Ar  {ar)  and  Ar  of  Moab.  Num.  21  :28. 
The  cliief  city  of  Moab,  on  the  east  of  the 
Salt  Sea ;  called  also  Aroer,  Deut.  2  :  36  ; 
sometimes  used  for  the  wliole  land  of  Moab, 
Deut.  2  :  29 ;  burned  by  Sihon.  Num.  21 : 
26-30. 

Arabia  {a-rd'biah),  arid,  sterile.  A  pen- 
insula in  the  southwestern  part  of  Asia, 
between  the  Red  Sea,  the  Indian  Ocean, 
and  the  Persian  Gulf.  Its  extreme  length 
from  north  to  south  is  about  1300  miles,  its 
greatest  breadth  about  1500  miles,  though 
from  the  northern  point  of  the  Red  Sea  to 
the  Persian  Gulf  is  only  about  900  miles. 
It  has  the  sea  on  all  sides  except  the  north. 
Its  area  is  estimated  at  1,030,000  square 
miles ;  and  of  the  three  ancient  divisions 
of  the  country,  that  known  as  Arabia  Felix 
was  by  far  the  largest  and  most  important. 
Its  main  features  are  a  coast  range  of  low 
mountains  or  table  land,  seldom  rising 
over.  2000  feet,  broken  on  the  eastern  coast 
by  sandy  plains ;  this  plateau  is  backed  up 
bv  a  second  loftier  range  of  mountains  in 
the  east  and  south.  The  Sinaitic  peninsula 
is  a  small  triangular  region  in  the  north- 
western part,  or  corner,  of  Arabia.  See 
Sinai.  The  ancients  divided  it  into  Pe- 
tra;a,  Deserta,  and  Fehx  ;  or  the  stony,  the 
desert,  and  the  happy  or  fertile.  The  prin- 
cipal animals  are  the  horse,  famed  for  its 
form,  beauty,  and  endurance;  camels, 
sheep,  asses,  dogs,  the  gazelle,  tiger,  lynx, 
and  monkey  ;  quails,  peacocks,  parrots,  os- 
triches ;  vipers,  scorpions,  and  locusts.  Of 
fruits  and  grains,  dates,  wheat,  millet,  rice, 
beans,  and  pulse  are  common.  It  is  also  rich 
in  minerals,  especially  in  lead.  Arabia  in 
early  Israehtish  history  meant  a  small  tract 
of  country  south  and  east  of  Palestine, 
probably  the  same  as  that  called  Kedem, 
or  "the  east."  Gen.  10:30;  25:6;  29:1. 
Arabia  in  New  Testament  times  appears  to 
have  been  scarcely  more  extensive.  Gal. 
1 :  17  ;  4  :  25.  The  chief  inhabitants  were 
known  as  Ishmaelites,  Arabians,  Idume- 
ans,  Horites,  and  Edomites.  The  allusions 
in  the  Scripture  to  the  country  and  its  peo- 
ple are  very  numerous.  Job  is  supposed  to 
have  dwelt  in  Arabia.  The  forty  years  of 
wandering  by  the  Israehtes  under  ISIoses 
was  in  this  land.  See  Sinai.  Solomon  re- 
ceived gold  from  it,  1  Kings  10  :  15 ;  2 
Chron.  9  :  14 ;  Jehoshaphat  flocks,  2  Chron. 
17  :  11 ;  some  of  its  people  were  at  Jerusa- 
lem at  the  Pentecost,  Acts  2  :  11 ;  Paul  vis- 
ited it.  Gal.  1  :  17 ;  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah 
and  Jeremiah  frequently  refer  to  it.  Isa. 
21  :  11-13 ;  42  :  11 ;  60  : 7 ;  Jer.  25  :  24 ;  49  : 
28,  29.  The  Mhmaean  country  to  which 
Moses  fled,  according  to  recent  discov- 
eries, was  among  the  most  cultured  of 
ancient  times,  having  alphabetic  writing 
and  literary  works  earher  than  the  Phoe- 
nicians. It  has  been  said,  that  if  any  peo- 
ple in  the  world  afford  in  their  history  an 


ARAB 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


AREOPAGUS 


instance  of  high  antiquity  and  great  sim- 
l)licity  of  manners,  the  Arabs  surely  do. 
uf  all  peoples,  the  Arabs  have  spread  far- 
thest over  the  globe,  and  in  all  their  wan- 
derings have  preserved  their  language, 
manners,  and  peculiar  customs  more  per- 
fectly than  any  other  nation. 

Arad  {d'rdd),  to  flee,  to  be  luild,  untamed. 
1.  A  Canaanitish  city  in  the  south  of  Ju- 
dah.  The  site  of  this  ancient  city  is  a  barren- 
looking  eminence  rising  above  the  sur- 
rounding country,  now  called  Tel  Arad. 
In  Num.  21 : 1 ;  33  :  40,  "  king  Arad,"  A.  V., 
is  incorrect  for  "  king  of  Arad."  Josh.  12  : 
14;  Judg.  1:16.  2.  A  descendant  of  Ben- 
jcuuin.    IChron.  8:15. 

Ai'am  {d'ram),  high  region  1.  A  son  of 
Shem.  Gen.  10  :  22,  23 ;  1  Chron.  1 :  17.  2.  A 
tiescendant  of  Nahor,  Abraham's  brother. 
(, en.  22:21.  3.  An  Asherite.  1  Chron.  7  : 
.']4.  4.  The  son  of  Esrom,  elsewhere  called 
Ram.  Matt.  1 :  3,  4  ;  Luke  3  :  33,  A.  V.,  but 
the  R.  V.  reads  Arni. 

Aram,  highlands.  The  elevated  region 
northeast  of  Palestine,  toward  the  Euphra- 
tes river.  Num.  23 :  7  ;  1  Chron.  1 :  17 ;  2 : 
23.  It  was  nearly  identical  with  Syria. 
Aram-naharaim  of  Gen.  24  :  10  is  translated 
Jilesopotamia  in  the  English  Version,  and 
refers  to  the  region  between  the  Euphrates 
and  Tigris  rivers.  There  were  probably 
several  petty  kingdoms  included  under 
Aram,  as  Aram-zobah,  Aram  Beth-rehob, 
Aram  Damascus,  Padan-aram;  all  these 
were  gradually  absorbed  by  that  of  Damas- 
cus, which  became  the  capital  of  all 
"Aram,"  or  Syria. 

Ararat  {dr'a-rcU),  holy  land,  or  high  land. 
A  mountainous  region  of  Asia  which  bor- 
ders on  the  plain  of  the  Araxes,  and  is 
mentioned  (1)  as  the  resting-place  of  Noah's 
ark.  Gen.  8:4;  (2)  as  the  refuge  of  the  sons 
of  Sennacherib,  2  Kings  19 :  37,  R.  V.,  or 
margin,  A.  V. ;  Isa.  37,  38,  R.  V.,  or  margin, 
A.  V. ;  (3)  as  a  kingdom  with  JNIinni  and 
Ashchenaz.  Jer.  51:27.  The  mountains 
of  Ararat,  Gen.  8  : 4,  properly  refer  to  the 
entire  range  of  elevated  table  land  in  that 
portion  of  Armenia ;  and  upon  some  lower 
part  of  tliis  range,  rather  than  upon  the 
high  peaks  popularly  called  Ararat,  the 
ark  more  probably  rested.  For  (1)  this  pla- 
teau or  range  is  about  6000  to  7000  feet 
liigli ;  (2)  it  is  about  equally  distant  from 
the  Euxine  and  the  Caspian  Seas,  and  be- 
tween the  Pei-sian  Gulf  and  the  Mediterra- 
nean, and  hence  a  central  point  for  the 
dispersion  of  the  race ;  (3)  the  region  is 
volcanic  in  its  origin ;  it  does  not  rise  into 
sharp  crests,  but  has  broad  plains  sep- 
arated by  subordinate  ranges  of  mountains ; 
(4)  the  climate  is  temperate,  grass  and  grain 
are  abundant,  the  harvests  quick  to  ma- 
ture. All  these  facts  illustrate  the  biblical 
narrative.  George  Smith,  however,  places 
Ararat  in  the  southern  part  of  the  moun- 
tains east  of  Assyria.  Chaldean  Account 
of  (Genesis,  p.  289, 

Araunah  {a-rau'nah),  ark?  a  large  ash 
or  pine.  A  Jebusite,  it  has  been  supposed 
of  royal  race,  from  whom  David  purchased 
a  threshing-floor  as  a  site  for  an  altar  to  the 
Lord.  2 Sam.  24:18-25.  Inl Chron. 21: 18-28, 


and  2  Chron.  3  : 1,  the  name  is  Oman.  There 
is  an  apparent  discrepancy  in  the  two  ac- 
counts in  respect  to  the  price  paid  by  Da- 
vid. According  to  the  author  of  Samuel  it 
was  50  shekels  of  silver ;  whereas  in  Chron- 
icles we  find  the  sum  stated  to  be  600  shek- 
els of  gold.  But  we  may  suppose  the  floor, 
oxen,  and  instruments  purchased  for  the 
50  shekels ;  the  larger  area,  in  which  the 
temple  was  subsequently  built,  for  600. 
Or,  the  first-named  sum  was  the  price  of 
the  oxen,  the  last  of  the  ground. 

Arba.    Gen.  35  :  27.    See  Hebron. 

Archangel,  a  chief  angel,  only  twice 
used  in  the  Bible.  1  Thess.  4  :  16  ;  Jude  9. 
In  this  last  passage  it  is  apphed  to  Michael, 
who,  in  Dan.  10  :  13,  21 ;  12  : 1,  is  described 
as  "one  of  the  chief  princes,"  having  a 
special  charge  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and 
in  Rev.  12 : 7-9  as  the  leader  of  an  angelic 
army. 

Archelaus  {dr-Jce-ld'us),  chief,  or  prince 
of  the  people.  A  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  by 
JMalthace  his  Samaritan  wife.  Herod  be- 
queathed to  him  his  kingdom,  but  Augus- 
tus confirmed  him  in  the  possession  of  only 
half  of  it— Idumea,  Judea,  and  Samaria, 
with  the  title  of  ethnarch,  or  chief  of  the 
nation.  After  about  ten  years,  on  account 
of  his  cruelties,  he  was  banished  to  Vienne 
in  Gaul ;  and  his  territories  were  reduced 
to  the  form  of  a  Roman  province  under 
the  procurator  Coponius.  In  Matt.  2  :  22, 
he  is  said  to  be  king,  referring  to  the  inter- 
val immediately  after  the  death  of  Herod, 
when  he  assumed  the  title  of  king. 

Archi  {dr'k'i).  Josh.  16:2  A.  V.,  but  R. 
V.  reads  "  border  of  the  Archites,"  a  people 
living  near  Bethel,  and  to  which  Hushai 
belonged.    2  Sam.  15 :  32. 

Arctiirus  {ark-tu'rus).  Job  9:9;  38 :  32, 
in  A.  v.,  but  the  R.  V.  correctly  reads 
"bear"  in  both  passages.  Arcturus  is  the 
name  of  a  fixed  star  of  the  first  magnitude 
in  the  constellation  Bootes ;  but  the  He- 
brew word  in  Job  refers  to  the  constellation 
Ursa  Major,  or  Great  Bear.  The  "sons" 
are  probably  the  three  stars  in  the  tail  of 
the  bear. 

Areopagus  {dr-e-op'a-gUs,  or  dre-6p'a- 
gus),  Mars'  Hill.  A  narrow  naked  ridge  of 
limestone  rock  at  Athens,  sloping  upwards 
from  the  north  and  terminating  in  an  ab- 
rupt precipice  on  the  south,  50  or  60  feet 
above  a  valley  wdiich  divides  it  from  the 
west  end  of  the  Acropohs.  It  had  its  name 
from  the  legend  that  Mars  (Ares),  the  god 
of  war,  was  tried  here  by  the  other  gods 
on  a  charge  of  murder.  Here  sat  the  court 
or  council  of  the  Areopagus,  a  most  an- 
cient and  venerable  tribunal,  celebrated 
through  Greece.  It  examined  criminal 
charges,  as  murder,  arson,  wounding ;  but 
the  lawgiver  Solon  gave  it  also  political 
powers.  Those  who  had  held  the  office  of 
archon  were  members  of  this  court,  and 
they  sat  for  life,  unless  guilty  of  some 
crime.  The  Areopagus  was  respected  un- 
der the  Roman  dominion,  and  existed  in 
the  empire.  Here  it  was  that  Paul  made 
his  memorable  address,  Acts  17  :  19-34  ;  one 
of  the  council,  persuaded  by  it  or  more 
fully  instructed  afterwards,  becoming 
29 


ARETAS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ARK 


a  Christian.  But  it  does  not  appear  that 
the  apostle  was,  properly  speaking,  tried ; 
ratlier  he  was  placed  on  this  spot  m  order 
that  what  he  had  to  say  might  be  roore 
readily  heard  by  the  multitude.  Sixteen 
stone  steps  from  the  agora  ( market)  yet 
exist,  and  the  stone  seats  forming  three 
sides  of  a  quadrangle  looking  southwards, 
also  two  blocks,  appropriated,  it  is  believed, 
to  the  accuser  and  the  criminal. 

Aretas  {ar'e-tas),  virtuous.  2  Cor.  11 :  32. 
The  Kuig  of  Arabia  Petraea  at  the  time  the 
governor  of  Damascus  attempted  to  appre- 
hend Paul.  Acts  9  :  24,  25.  His  daughter 
married  Herod  Antipas,  but  was  afterward 
divorced  to  allow  him  to  marry  Herodias. 
In  consequence  of  this  insult,  Aretas  made 
war  upon  Antipas  arrd  defeated  him.  Anti- 
pas  was  soon  after  banished  and  his  king- 
dom given  to  Agrippa.  It  is  likely  that 
Aretas  was  restored  to  the  good  graces  of 
the  Romans,  and  that  Caligula  granted  him 
Damascus,  which  had  already  formed  part 
of  his  predecessor's  kingdom.  In  this  way 
we  can  account  for  the  fact  in  Paul's  life 
stated  above. 

Argob  (dr'gob),  stony,  a  small  district  of 
Bashan,  east  of  the  Jordan ;  named  only 
four  times  in  the  Bible.  It  is  about  30  miles 
long  by  20  miles  wide,  ehieliy  a  field  of 
basalt  (black  rock),  elevated  about  30  feet 
above  the  sun-ounding  plain,  and  bordered 
by  a  rocky  rampart  of  broken  chffs.  It  once 
contained  60  strong  and  fortified  cities, 
the  ruins  of  many  of  them  being  still  to  be 
seen.    It  is  now  called  the  Lejah. 

Ariel  {d'ri-el  or  a-n'el),  lion  of  God.  One 
of  Ezra's  chief  men  who  directed  the  cara- 
van which  Ezra  led  from  Babylon  to  Jeru- 
salem. Ezra  8 :  16.  Jerusalem  being  the 
chief  city  of  Judah,  Avhose  emblem  was  a 
lion,  Geri.  49 : 9,  the  word  Ariel  is  apphed  to 
that  city.    Isa.  29  : 1. 

Ariiiiathea  (ar-i-ma-the'ah),  the  heights. 
A  city  of  Palestuie,  whence  came  Joseph 
the  counsellor,  mentioned  in  Luke  23:51. 
Trelawney  Saunders  places  it  east  of  Beth- 
lehem. 

Aristarclius  {dr-is-fdr'kus),  best  ruler.  A 
Macedonian  of  Thessalonica  who  accom- 
panied Paul  upon  his  third  missionary 
journey.  Acts  20 : 4 ;  27  : 2.  He  was  nearly 
killed  in  the  tumult  which  Demetrius  ex"- 
cited  in  Ephesus,  Acts  19  -.29,  and  it  is  said 
that  he  was  finally  beheaded  in  Rome. 
Paul  alludes  to  him  both  as  his  fellow- 
laborer  and  fellow-prisoner.  Col.  4  :  10 ; 
Phile.  24. 

Ark.  The  vessel  constructed  by  Noah 
at  God's  command,  for  the  preservation  of 
himself  and  family,  and  a  stock  of  the  vari- 
ous animals,  when  the  waters  of  the  flood 
overflowed  the  inhabited  earth.  If  the 
cubit  be  reckoned  at  21  inches,  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  ark  were  525  feet  in  length,  87 
feet  6  inches  in  breadth,  52  feet  6  inches 
in  height.  The  proportions  are  those 
of  the  human  body ;  and  they  are  ad- 
mirably adapted  for  a  vessel  required,  like 
the  ark,  to  float  steadily  with  abundant 
stowage.  This  is  proved  by  modern  experi- 
ments. The  ark  was  made  of  "gopher- 
wood,"  probably  cypress ;  and  it  was  to  be 


divided  into  "rooms"  or  "nests,"  that  is, 
furnished  with  a  vast  number  of  separate 
compartments,  placed  one  above  another 
in  three  tiers.  Light  was  to  be  admitted  by 
a  window,  not  improbably  a  sky-hght,  a 
cubit  broad,  extending  the  whole  length  of 
the  ark.  If  so,  however,  there  must  have 
been  some  protection  from  the  rain.  A 
"covering"  is  spoken  of.  Gen.  8:13;  but 
several  writers  have  believed  that  some 
transparent  or  translucent  substance  was 
employed,  excluding  the  weather  and  ad- 
mitting the  hght.  It  is  observable  that  the 
"  window "  which  Noah  is  said  to  have 
opened,  Gen.  8:6,  is  not  in  the  original  the 
same  word  with  that  occurring  in  6 :  16. 
Perhaps  one  or  more  divisions  of  the  long 
sky-hght  were  made  to  open.  There  was  a 
door  also,  through  which  the  persons  and 
the  animals  would  enter  and  pass  out. 
Many  questions  have  been  raised,  and  dis- 
cussed at  great  length  by  skeptics  and 
others,  respecting  the  form  and  dimensions 
of  the  ark  ;  the  number  of  animals  saved 
in  it— whether  including  all  species  then 
existing  in  the  world,  except  such  as  live 
in  water  or  he  dormant,  or  only  the  species 
hving  in  the  parts  of  the  world  then  peopled 
by  man ;  and  as  to  the  possibility  of  their 
being  all  lodged  in  the  ark,  and  their  food 
during  the  year.  Some  of  these  questions 
the  Bible  clearly  settles.  Others  it  is  vain 
to  discuss,  since  we  have  no  means  of  de- 
ciding them.  It  Avas  by  miracle  that  he 
was  forewarned  and  directed  to  prepare  for 
the  flood  ;  and  the  same  miraculous  power 
accomplished  all  that  Noah  was  unable  to 
do  in  designing,  building,  and  fiUing  the 
ark,  and  preserving  and  guiding  it  through 
the  deluge.  2.  Moses's  ark  was  made  of 
the  bulrush  or  papyrus,  which  grows  in 
marshy  places  in  Egypt.  It  was  daubed 
with  sUme,  which  was  probably  the  mud 
of  which  their  bricks  were  made,  and  Avith 
pitch  or  bitumen.  Ex.  2:3.  3.  Ark  of  the 
covenant.  The  most  important  piece  of 
the  tabemacle's  furniture.  It  appears  to 
have  been  an  oblong  chest  of  shittim 
(acacia)  wood,  two  and  a  half  cubits  long, 
by  one  and  a  half  broad  and  deep.  Within 
and  without  gold  was  overlaid  on  the 
wood ;  and  on  the  upper  side  or  hd,  which 
was  edged  round  about  with  gold,  the 
mercy  seat  was  placed.  The  ark  was  fitted 
with  rings,  one  at  each  of  the  four  corners, 
and  through  these  were  passed  staves  of 
the  same  wood  similarly  overlaid,  by  which 
it  was  carried  by  the' Kohathites.  Num. 
7:9;  10  :  21.  The'  ends  of  the  staves  were 
visible  without  the  veil  in  the  holy  place 
of  the  temple  of  Solomon.  1  Kings  8:8. 
The  ark,  when  transported,  was  covered 
with  the  "vfeil"  of  the  dismantled  taber- 
nacle, in  the  curtain  of  badgers'  skins,  and 
in  a  blue  cloth  over  all,  and  was  therefore 
not  seen.  Num.  4  : 5, 20.  The  chief  facts  in 
the  earlier  history  of  the  ark,  see  Josh.  3  and 
6,  need  not  be  recited.  Before  David's  time 
its  abode  was  frequently  changed.  It  so- 
journed among  several,  probably  Levitical, 
families,  1  Sam.  7:1;  2  Sam.  6:3,  11;  i 
Chron.  13  :13, 15,  24,  25,  in  the  border  vil- 
lages of  eastern  Judah,  and  did  not  take  its 


ARMAGEDDON 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ARMY 


place  in  the  tabernacle,  but  dwelt  in  cur- 
tains, i.e.,  in  a  separate  tent  pitched  for  it 
in  Jerusalem  by  David.  When  idolatry  be- 
came more  shameless  in  the  kingdom  of 
Judah,  Manasseh  placed  a  "  carved  image  " 
in  the  "house  of  God,"  and  probably  re- 
moved the  ark  to  make  way  for  it.  This 
may  account  for  the  subsequent  statement 
that  it  was  reinstated  by  Josiah.  2  Chron. 
33  : 7 ;  35 : 3.  It  was  probably  taken  captive 
or  destroyed  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 

Armageddon  (dr-ma-ged'don),  the  hill,  or, 
perhaps,  the  city  of  Megiddo.  A  symbohcal 
name  for  the  place  \vhere  a  final  struggle 
between  the  hosts  of  good  and  evil  must 
take  place.  Rev.  16  :  16.  Spelled  Har-Ma- 
gedon  in  R.  V.  For  an  exposition  of  the 
apostle's  meaning,  the  reader  must  be  re- 
ferred to  commentaries;  it  will  be  sufli- 
cient  here  to  say  that  there  is  an  allusion 
to  that  great  battle-field  where  Barak  and 
Gideon  conquered.  Judges  4  ;  5  :  19 ;  6  :  33 ;  7 ; 
where  Saul  and  Josiah  fell,  1  Sam.  29 : 1 ; 
31 ;  2  Sam.  4  : 4 ;  2  Chron.  35 :  20-24 ;  the  plain 
of  Esdraelon,  on  the  southern  border  of 
which  Megiddo  stood. 

Armenia  {ar-me'ni-d),  mountains  of 
Minni  (?)  The  Enghsh  name  for  a  country 
called  Ararat  in  the  Hebrew,  2  Kings  19 : 
37 ;  Isa.  37  :  38,  A.  V.,  but  the  R.  V.  has 
Ararat  in  both  of  these  places;  hence 
"  Armenia  "  does  not  occur  in  the  Revised 
English  Version.  Armenia  is  in  western 
Asia,  between  the  Caspian  and  the  Black 
Seas,  and  the  Caucasus  and  Taurus  ranges 
of  mountains.  Three  districts,  probably 
included  in  Armenia,  are  mentioned  in  the 
Bible— Ararat,  Minni  and  Ashchenaz,  and 
Togarmah.  1.  Ararat  was  a  central  region 
near  the  range  of  mountains  of  the  same 
name.  2.  Minni  and  Ashchenaz,  Jer.  51 : 
27,  districts  in  the  upper  valley  of  a  branch 
of  the  Euphrates.  3.  Togarmah,  Ezek.  27  : 
14 ;  38  :  6,  was  apparently  the  name  by 
which  the  most,  or  perhaps  the  whole,  of 
the  land  was  known  to  the  Hebrews.  The 
present  number  of  Armenians  is  estimated 
to  be  from  2,500,000  to  3,000,000,  of  whom 
about  1,000,000  live  in  Annenia.  Its  chief 
modern  towns  are  Erzeroum,  Erivan,  and 
Van.     See  Ararat. 

Arms,  Armor.  There  were :  I.  Offen- 
sive Weapons:  arms.  II.  Defensive  wea- 
pons: armor.  I.  Otfensive  weapons.  1. 
Apparently  the  earliest  and  most  widely 
used  was  the  Chereb  or  sword,  a  lighter 
and  a  shorter  weapon  than  the  modern 
sv/ord.  It  was  carried  in  a  sheath,  1  Sam. 
17  :  51 ;  2  Sam.  20 : 8 ;  1  Chron.  21 :  27,  slung 
by  a  girdle,  1  Sam.  25  :  13,  and  resting  upon 
the  thigh,  Ps.  45  :  3 ;  Judg.  3  :  16,  or  upon  the 
hips,  2  Sam.  20:8.  2.  The  spear;  at  least 
three  distinct  kinds.  (a)  The  Chanlth, 
a  "  spear  "  of  the  largest  kind.  It  was  the 
weapon  of  Goliath,  1  Sam.  17  :  7,  45 ;  2  Sam. 
21  :  19 ;  1  Chron.  20  : 5,  and  also  of  other 
giants,  2  Sam.  23  :  21 ;  1  Chron.  11  :  23,  and 
mighty  warriors,  2  Sam.  2  :  23 ;  23  :  18  ;  1 
Chron.  11 :  11,  20.  (6)  Apparently  lighter 
than  the  preceding  was  the  Cldon  or  "jav- 
elin." When  not  in  action  the  Cidon  was 
carried  on  the  back  of  the  warrior,  1  Sam. 
17:6,   A,  V.    "target."    (c)  Another  kind 


of  spear  was  the  Romach,  mentioned  in 
Num.  25 : 7  and  1  Kings  18  :  28,  and  fre- 
quently in  the  later  books,  as  in  1  Chron, 
12  : 8  ("  buckler  ") ;  2  Chron.  11 :  12.  It  va- 
ried much  in  length,  weight  and  size,  {d) 
The  Shelach,  probably  a  lighter  missile  or 
"  dart."  See  2  Chron.  23  :  10 ;  32  :  5  ("  darts  "); 
some  suppose  darts  are  meant  by  the  read- 
ing in  the  margin  of  A.  V.  of  Neh.  4 :  17, 
23  ;  but  the  R.  V.  reads  "  weapon"  in  both 
cases,  wliich  makes  it  uncertain  what  kind 
of  armor  is  meant.  Job  33  :  18  ;  36  :  12 ; 
Joel  2  : 8.  (e)  Shebet,  means  a  rod  or  stafi; 
used  once  only  to  denote  a  weapon.  2 
Sam.  18  :  14.  3.  Of  missile  weapons  of  of- 
fence the  chief  was  undoubtedly  the  bow 
(Hebrew,  Kesheth).  The  arrows  were  car- 
ried in  a  quiver.  Gen.  27:3;  Isa.  22:6; 
49  : 2  ;  Ps.  127  : 5.  From  an  allusion  in  Job 
6  : 4  they  would  seem  to  have  been  some- 
times poisoned ;  and  Ps.  120  : 4  may  point 
to  a  practice  of  using  arrows  with  some 
burning  material  attached  to  them.  4. 
The  sling  is  mentioned  in  Judg.  20 :  16. 
This  simple  weapon,  with  which  David 
killed  the  giant  Phihstine,  was  the  natural 
attendant  of  a  shepherd.  Later  in  the 
monarchy,  slingers  formed  part  of  the  reg- 
ular army.  2  Kings  3:25.  5.  The  battle- 
axe,  Jer.  51 :  20,  was  a  powerful  weapon  ;  its 
exact  form  is  unknown.  II.  Armor.  1. 
The  breastplate  noticed  in  the  arms  of  Go- 
hath,  a  "coat  of  mail,"  literally  a  "breast- 
plate of  scales."  1  Sam.  17  :  5.  2.  The  ha- 
bergeon is  mentioned  twice— in  reference  to 
the  gown  of  the  high  priest.  Translated 
coat  of  mail  in  R.  V.  Ex.  28 :  32 ;  39  :  23. 
It  was  probably  a  qmlted  shirt  or  doublet. 

3.  The  helmet  was  a  protection  for  the  head. 

1  Sam.  17  : 5 ;  2  Chron.  26  :  14  ;  Ezek.  27  :  10. 

4.  Greaves  were  coverings  for  the  feet,  made 
of  brass,  named  in  1  Sam.  17  : 6  only.  5.  Two 
kinds  of  shield  are  distinguishable,  (a)  The 
large  shield,  encompassing  the  whole  per- 
son. Ps.  5:12.  It  was  carried  before  the 
warrior.  1  Sam.  17  :  7.  {b)  Of  smaller  size 
was  the  buckler  or  target,  probably  for  use  in 
hand-to-hand  fight.  1  Kings  10 :  16  ;  2  Chron. 
9 :  15,  16. 

Army.  I.  Jewish  army.  Everj*  able- 
bodied  man  over  20  years  of  age  was  a  sol- 
dier. Num.  1:3;  each  tribe  formed  a  divi- 
sion, with  its  own  banner  and  its  own 
leader.  Num.  2:2;  10:14;  their  positions 
in  the  camp  and  on  the  march  were  fixed. 
Num.  2 ;  the  whole  army  started  and 
stopped  at  a  given  signal,  Num.  10 : 5,  6 ; 
so  they  came  up  out  of  Egypt.  Ex.  13  :  18. 
On  the  approach  of  an  enemy  a  selection 
w^as  made  from  the  general  body,  Deut.  20 : 
5 ;  2  Kings  25 :  19 ;  and  officers  were  ap- 
pointed, Deut.  20  : 9.  The  army  was  then 
divided  into  thousands  and  hundreds  un- 
der captains.  Num.  2  :  34  ;  31  :  14  ;  2  Chron. 
25  : 5 ;  26  :  12.  With  the  kings  arose  the 
custom  of  a  body-guard  and  a  standing 
army.  David's  band  of  600,  1  Sam.  23  :  13 ; 
25  :  13,  he  retained  after  he  became  king, 
and  added  the  Cherethites  and  Pelethites. 

2  Sam.  15  :  18 ;  20  : 7.  Da\-id  organized  a 
national  militia,  di\ided  into  twelve  di- 
visions, under  their  respective  officers,  each 
of  which  was  called  out  for  one  month  in 

ai 


ARNON 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ASHDOD 


the  year.  1  Chron.  27.  The  maintenance 
and  eqmpment  of  the  soldiers  at  the  pub- 
lic expense  date  from  the  establishment  of 
a  standing  anny.  II.  Roman  army.  The 
Roman  army  was  divided  into  legions.  The 
number  in  a  legion  varied  from  3000  to 
6000,  each  under  "  chief  captains,"  Acts  21 : 
31,  who  commanded  by  turns.  The  legion 
was  subdivided  into  ten  cohorts  {"  band,"), 
Acts  10  : 1 ;  the  cohort  into  three  maniples, 
and  the  maniple  into  two  centuries,  con- 
taining originally  100  men,  as  the  name 
implies :  but  subsequently  from  50  to  100 
men,  according  to  the  strength  of  the  le- 
gion. There  were  thus  sixty  centuries  in  a 
legion,  each  under  the  command  of  a  cen- 
turion. Acts  10 : 1,  22  ;  Matt.  S  :  5 ;  27  :  54. 
In  addition  to  the  legionarj-  cohorts,  mde- 
pendent  cohorts  of  volunteers  served  under 
the  Roman  standards.  One  of  these  co- 
horts was  named  the  ItaUan,  Acts  10:1, 
because  the  soldiers  in  it  were  from  Italy. 

Arnon  {dr'non),  noisy.  A  stream  running 
into  the  Dead  Sea  from  the  east,  and  which 
divided  Sloab  from  the  Amorites.  Num. 
21 :  13 ;  Judg.  11 : 8.  The  Arnon  is  about  50 
miles  long,  90  feet  wide,  and  from  four  to 
ten  feet  deep  at  its  mouth ;  full  in  winter, 
but  nearly  dry  in  summer;  had  several 
fords,  Isa.  16  :2,  and  "high  places,"  Num. 
21 :  28 ;  is  referred  to  24  times  in  the  Bible. 
The  reference  to  "high  places"  in  Isa.  15  : 
2,  some  Jewish  scholars  regard  as  the  name 
of  a  place  and  read,  "Beth-bamoth  and 
Dibon  are  gone  up  to  weep."  Its  modern 
name  is  el-Mojib.  It  runs  through  a  deep 
ravine  with  precipitous  limestone  cliffs  on 
either  side,  in  some  places  over  2000  feet 
high.  Ruins  of  forts,  bridges,  and  buildings 
abound  on  its  banks,  and  tish  in  its  waters. 

Aroer  {ar'o-er,  or  a-ro'er),  ruins,  or  juni- 
per. 1.  A  city  on  the  northern  bank  of  the 
Arnon.  Its  ruins  are  still  called  Ara'ir.  If 
Aroer  be  meant  by  "  the  city  in  the  midst 
of  the  river,"  Josh.  13  : 9,  it  may  have  orig- 
inated in  the  circumstance  that  the  city 
stood  partly  on  the  bank,  and  partly  ex- 
tending into  the  river.  Deut.  2  :  36  ;  3  :  12  ; 
4:48;  Josh.  12:2;  13:16;  Judg.  11:26; 
Jer.  48  :  19.  2.  Another  city,  situated  far- 
ther north,  over  against  Rabbah  of  Am- 
mon,  on  a  brook  of  Gad,  a  branch  of  the 
Jabbok.  The  site  is  still  called  Ayra, 
Num.  32  :  34 ;  Josh.  13  :  25  ;  2  Sam.  24  : 5 ; 
Isa.  17  :  2 ;  but  possibly  another  city  near 
Damascus.  3.  A  city  of  the  south  of  Ju- 
dah  ;  the  inhabitants  were  called  "  Aroer- 
ites."  The  ruins  are  still  called  Ar'arah.  1 
Sam.  30 :  28 ;  1  Chron.  11 :  44. 

Arpad  {dr'pad),  or  Arphad  (dr'fdd), 
strong  city.  A  town  or  region  in  Syria, 
near  Hamath,  2  Kings  18:34;  Isa.  10:9, 
dependent  on  Damascus,  Jer.  49  :  23. 

Artaxerxes  (dr'tdg-zerk'scz),  the  great 
warrior.  The  name  of  two  kings  of  Persia 
mentioned  in  the  Bible  :  1.  Ezra  4  : 7-24,  the 
king  who  stopped  the  rebuilding  of  the 
temple  because  he  listened  to  the  mali- 
cious report  of  the  enemies  of  the  Jews. 
He  is  supposed  to  have  been  Smerdis,  the 
Magian,  the  pretended  brother  of  Camby- 
ses,  who  seized  the  throne  B.C.  522,  and 
was  murdered  after  eight  months.  2.  Ezra 
32 


7  :  7,  and  Neh.  2  : 1,  both  speak  of  a  second 
Artaxerxes,  who  is  generally  regarded  as 
the  same  with  Artaxerxes  Longimanus, 
i.  e.,  the  Long-handed,  son  of  Xerxes,  who 
reigned  b.  c.  464-425.  In  the  seventh  year 
of  his  reign  he  permitted  Ezra  to  return 
into  Judaea,  with  such  of  his  countrj-men 
as  chose  to  follow  him ;  and  14  years  after- 
wards he  allowed  Nehemiah  to  return  and 
build  up  Jerusalem. 

Arvad  (dr'vdd),  wandering.  A  small 
island,  two  or  three  miles  off  the  coast  of 
I'ha?nicia,  related  closely  to  Tvre,  Ezek.  27  : 

8  :  11.  See  also  Gen.  10  :  18 ;  1  Chron.  1 :  16. 
Ruins  of  a  huge  wall  are  still  found,  and 
Greek  inscriptions  graven  on  black  basaltic 
columns.  The  stones  are  so  large  that  the 
best  engineers  are  puzzled  to  know  how 
they  were  moved.  The  place  is  now  called 
Ruad,  and  has  about  3000  population.  It 
is  probably  the  same  as  Arpad  and  Arphad. 

Asa,  (d'sah),  jihysician.  1.  The  third  king 
of  Judah ;  he  succeeded  his  father  Abijam, 
about  B.  c.  955,  and  reigned  41  years  at  Je- 
rusalem. He  was  distinguished  for  Iris 
success  in  war,  and  his  zeal  for  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah.  He  purified  Jerusalem 
from  the  infamous  practices  attending  the 
worship  of  idols ;  and  deprived  his  mother 
of  her  office  and  dignity  of  queen,  because 
she  erected  an  idol  to  Astarte.  In  the  latter 
part  of  his  hfe  he  became  diseased  in  his 
feet;  and  Scripture  reproaches  him  with 
having  had  recourse  to  the  physicians, 
rather  than  to  the  Lord.  1  Kings  15  : 8,  9 ; 
2  Chron.  16  : 2.  2.  A  Levite.  1  Chron.  9  : 
16. 

Asahel  {d'sa-Ml,  or  ds'a-Ml),  whom  God 
made.  1.  The  nephew  of  David,  son  of  his 
sister  Zeruiah,  and  brother  of  Joab  and 
Abishai.  He  was  fleet  of  foot,  and  pursued 
Abner  so  keenly  after  a  skirmish,  that  that 
warrior  was  reluctantly  compelled,  in  self- 
defence,  to  kill  him.  2  Sam.  2  :  18-32 ;  3 : 
27,  30 ;  23  :  24  ;  1  Chron.  11 :  26  ;  27  : 7.  2.  A 
Levite.  2  Chron.  17  : 8.  3.  Another  Levite. 
2  Chron.  31 :  13.  4.  Father  of  a  person  em- 
ploved  with  Ezra.    Ezra  10  :  15. 

Asaph  {d'saf),  collector.  1.  The  father 
of  Joah,  recorder  to  King  Hezekiah.  2 
Kings  18 :  18,  37  ;  Isa.  36  : 3,  22.  2.  A  Levite 
musician,  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  singers 
in  the  reign  of  David.  1  Chron.  6  :  39.  He 
is  called  a  "  seer,"  and  is  said  to  have  com- 
posed several  of  the  Psalms ;  of  which  50, 
73,  83  are  in  the  titles  attributed  to  him ; 
several  of  these  must,  however,  be  of  later 
date  than  the  times  of  David.  His  de- 
scendants, or  a  school  of  musicians  founded 
by  him,  are  called  sons  of  Asaph ;  and 
some  of  these  returned  from  capti\ity  with 
Zerubbabel.  Ezra  2:41;  Neh.  7:44.  We 
often  find  Asaph  spoken  of  in  later  ages 
with  distinction.  2  Chron.  29  :  30 ;  Neh.  12 ; 
46.  3.  The  keeper  of  the  king's  forest  to 
Artaxerxes.  Neh.  2:8.  4.  A  Levite.  Neh. 
11  :  17. 

Ashdod  (dsh'dod),  stronghold,  castle.  One 
of  the  five  confederate  cities  of  the  Phihs- 
tines,  allotted  to  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  46,  47  : 
the  chief  seat  of  Dagon-worship,  1  Sam.  5. 
It  was  three  miles  from  the  Mediterranean, 
and  midway  between  Gaza  and  Joppa. 


ASHDOTH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ASSHUR 


The  place  is  called  Azotus  in  the  New 
Testament.  Acts  8  :  40.  It  is  now  a  mean 
village  called  Esdud  ;  near  it  are  extensive 
ruins. 

Aslidotk  {ash' dot! i),  outjhuring  of  tor- 
rents, a  ravine..  A  district  situated  near 
Mount  Pisgah,  called  also  "  Ashdoth-Pis- 
gah"  or  "'slopes  of  Pisgah,"  11.  V.  In  the 
margin,  "  The  springs  of  Pisgah."  Deut. 
3:17;  4:49;  Josh.  12:3. 

Aslier  {(Ish'er),  happy.  1.  The  eighth 
son  of  Jacob.  2.  One  of  the  twelve  tribes 
(see  Tribes).  3.  A  territory  extending 
irom  Carmel  to  Lebanon,  about  6L»  miles 
long  and  ten  to  twelve  wide,  having  22 
cities  with  their  villages.  The  Phuiuicians 
held  the  plain  by  the  sea,  and  Asher  the 
mountains.  Josh.  19 :  24-31 ;  Judg.  1 :  31, 
32.  This  territory  contained  some  of  the 
richest  soil  in  all  Palestine ;  and  to  this 
fact,  as  well  as  to  its  proximity  to  the 
Phoenicians,  the  degeneracy  of  the  tribe 
may  be  attributed.  4.  A  place  on  the 
boundary  between  Ephraim  and  Manas- 
seh.    Josh.  17  : 7. 

Aslierali  {a-she'rah,  and  plural  Asherim). 
2  Kings  23 :  14,  R.  V.  The  Greek  and  Latin 
name  of  a  Phoenician  goddess  or  idol,  A. 
V.  "grove."  Asherah  is  closely  connected 
with  Ashtoreth,  or  Asheroth,  R.  V.,  and  her 
worship.  Elijah  asked  that  400  prophets 
of  Asherah  that  ate  at  Jezebel's  table  be 
gathered  at  Carmel.  Judg.  3:7;  comp.  2 : 
3 ;  Judg.  6  :  25 ;  1  Kings  18  :  19.  Ashtoreth 
was  the  Hebrew  name  of  the  goddess; 
Asherah  mistranslated  "grove"  in  the 
A.  v.,  is  retained  as  Asherah  in  the  R.  V. 
It  means  an  image  or  statue  of  the  goddess, 
made  of  wood.  See  Judg.  6  :  25-30  ;  2  Kings 
23  :  14.    See  Ashtaroth. 

Ashes.  The  ashes  on  the  altar  of  burnt- 
oftering  were  gathered  into  a  cavity  in  its 
surface.  On  the  days  of  the  three  solemn 
festivals  the  .ashes  were  not  removed,  but 
the  accuraulation  was  taken  away  after- 
wards in  the  morning,  the  priests  casting 
lots  for  the  office.  The  ashes  of  a  red 
heifer  burnt  entire,  according  to  regula- 
tions prescribed  in  Num.  19,  had  the  cere- 
monial efficacy  of  purifying  the  unclean, 
Heb.  9:l;3,  but  of  polluting  the  clean. 
Ashes  about  the  person,  especially  on  the 
head,  were  used  as  a  sign  of  sorrow. 

Aslikelon  {dsh'ke-lon),  and  Askelon 
{m'ke-lon),  migration.  One  of  the  five  cities 
of  the  Philistines  by  the  sea  and  ten  miles 
north  of  Gaza ;  taken  by  Judah,  Judg.  1 : 
IS ;  visited  by  Samson,  Jiidg.  14  :  19 ;  and  its 
destruction  predicted  in  Jer.  47  : 5,  7  ;  Amos 
1:8;  Zech.  9:5;  Zeph.  2  : 7.  Ashkelon  was 
the  seat  of  worship  of  the  Phihstine  god- 
dess Astarte,  Avhose  temple  was  plundered 
by  the  Scythians,  b.  c.  625  ;  was  the  birth- 
place of  Herod  the  Great.  Ashkelon  is 
noticed  in  the  Tel-el-Amarna  tablets,  14S0- 
1450  B.  c,  as  worshippers  of  Dagou. 

Ashkenaz  {cish'ke-ndz),  strong,  fortified. 
1.  A  district,  probably  in  Armenia,  the 
home  of  a  tribe  of  the  same  name.  In  1 
Chron.  1:6;  Jer.  51 :  27  it  is  called  Ashche- 
naz.  See  Armenia.  2.  Son  of  Gomer, 
Gen.  10 : 3,  of  the  family  of  Japhet,  and 
the  probable  ancestor  of  those  who  inhab- 


ited the  country  of  the  same  name,  Jer.  51 : 
27,  lying  along" the  eastern  and  southeast- 
ern shore  of  the  Black  Sea.  The  precise 
district  is  unknown. 

Ashtaroth  {dsh'ta-roth),  Astaroth  (ds'- 
td-roth).  1.  A  city  of  Bashan,  east  of  the 
Jordan,  Deut.  1:4;  Josh.  9 :  10 ;  13  :  31 ;  the 
same  as  Beesh-terah,  Josh.  21 :  27 ;  probably 
Tell-Ashterah,  in  Jaulan.  2.  Ashtoreth, 
sing. ;  Ashtaroth,  plur.  and  more  usual. 
An  idol  called  the  goddess  of  the  Sido- 
nians,  Judg.  2  :  13,  much  worshipped  in  Sy- 
ria and  Phoenicia.  Solomon  introduced 
the  worship  of  it.  1  Kings  11: 33.  The 
Greeks  and  Romans  called  it  Astarte.  The 
4U0  prophets  of  the  Asherah  which  ate  at 
Jezebel's  table,  mentioned  1  Kings  18 :  19, 
R.  v.,  were  probably  employed  in  the  ser- 
vice of  Asherah,  the  female  deity.  The 
worship  of  Ashtoreth  was  suppressed  by  Jo- 
siah.  The  goddess  was  called  the  "  queen 
of  heaven,"  and  the  worship  was  said  to  be 
paid  to  the  "  host  of  heaven."  Her  name  is 
usually  mentioned  in  connection  with 
Baal.  Baal  and  Ashtoreth  are  taken  by 
many  scholars  as  standing  for  the  sun  and 
the  moon_ respectively. 

Asia  (a'shl-ah).  This  word  in  scripture 
never  means  the  continent,  as  with  us.  In 
the  Old  Testament  it  is  not  found ;  in  the 
New  Testament  it  means  a  sm^lll  Roman 
province,  in  Asia  Minor,  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  Asia.  Its  boundaries  v.'ere  often 
changed ;  but  generally  it  may  be  said  to 
have  comprised  Phrygia,  Mysia,  Lydia, 
and  Caria,  in  Asia  Miiior,  and'thus  it  must 
be  understood  in  Acts  6:9;  19  :  10.  Some- 
times, however,  the  name  is  used  in  a  more 
restricted  sense ;  and  Phrygia  is  distin- 
guished from  Asia.  Acts  2  : 9,  10 ;  16  : 6. 
Asia  was  made  by  Augustus  one  of  the  sen- 
atorial provinces,  and  was  governed,  there- 
fore, by  a  proconsul.  It  prospered  under 
the  emperors ;  and  the  gospel  was  preached 
there  by  Paul.  Acts  19  :  10  ;  1  Cor.  16  :  19. 
The  "  seven  churches  "  to  which  messages 
were  sent,  in  Rev.  1 : 4,  were  in  Asia. 

Asp.    Deut.  32 :  33.    See  Serpent. 

Ass.  Five  Hebrew  names  of  the  ani- 
mals of  this  family  occur  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. 1.  Chamor  denotes  the  male  domes- 
tic ass.  2.  Athon,  the  common  domestic 
she-ass.  3.  Air,  the  name  of  a  wild  ass, 
which  occurs  Gen.  32  :  15  ;  49  :  11.  4.  Pere, 
a  species  of  wild  ass  mentioned  Gen.  12  :  16. 
5.  Arod  occurs  oidy  in  Job  39 : 5 ;  but  in 
what  respect  it  differs  from  the  former  is 
uncertain.  The  ass  in  eastern  countries  is 
a  very  different  animal  from  what  he  is  in 
western  Europe.  The  most  noble  and  hon- 
orable amongst  the  Jews  were  wont  to  be 
mounted  on  asses.  The  ass  to  us  is  a  sym- 
bol of  stubbornness  and  stupidity,  while  in  t 
the  East  it  is  remarkable  for  its  patience, 
gentleness,  intelligence,  and  great  power 
of  endurance.  The  color  is  usually  a  red- 
dish brown,  but  there  are  white  asses,  much 
prized.  The  ass  was  used  in  peace  as  the 
horse  was  in  war;  hence  the  appropriate- 
ness of  Christ  in  his  triumphal  entry  riding 
on  an  ass.  Mr.  Layard  remarks  that  in 
fleetness  the  wild  ass  equals  the  gazelle. 

Asshur.    Gen.  10 :  11.    See  Assyria. 


ASSOS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ASSYRIA 


Assos  (as'sds).  A  Greek  citv  of  Mysia 
in  "  Asia,'*  19  miles  southeast  of  Troas,  and 
on  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Extensive  ruins 
of  buildings,  citadel,  tombs,  and  a  gateway 
still  exist  there.  Paul  visited  it.   Acts  20  :  13. 

Assyria  [as-syr'i-ah).  A  great  empire  of 
western  Asia,  founded  at  a  very  early  date, 
probably  tiie  oldest  on  the  Euphrates,  and 
IS  traced  to  Asshur,  Gen.  10:  lu,  11, who  built 
Kineveh,  Rehoboth  (?),  Calah,  and  Resen. 
Assyria  proper,  the  northern  (Babylonia 
the  southern  portion),  had  about  the  same 
territory  as  Kurdistan.  The  empire  at  times 
covered  a  far  larger  extent  of  territory,  and 
in  its  prosperity  nearly  all  of  western  Asia 
and  portions  of  Africa  were  subject  to  its 
power.  According  to  Prof.  F.  Brown,  "  the 
Babylonio-Assyrian  territory  was  about 
500  miles  from  northwest  to  southeast, 
and  in  the  widest  part  300  miles  from  east 
to  west,  including  Mesopotamia."  The 
Persian  Gulf  formerly  extended  about  130 
miles  further  to  the  northwest  than  it  does 
now,  the  gulf  having  been  filled  up  by  mud 
borne  down  by  the  Tigris  and  Euphrates 
rivers.  There  "are  immense  level  tracts  of 
the  country,  now  ahnost  a  wilderness, 
which  bear  marks  of  having  been  culti- 
vated and  thickly  populated  in  early  times. 
Among  its  products,  besides  the  common 
cereals,  were  dates,  olives,  cotton,  mulber- 
ries, gum-arabic,  madder,  and  castor-oil. 
Of  animals,  the  bear,  deer,  wolf,  lynx,  hy- 
ena, antelope,  hon,  tiger,  beaver,  and 
camel  were  common.  The  fertility  of  the 
countrj'  is  frequently  noted  by  ancient 
writers. 

History.  Of  the  early  history  of  Assyria 
little  can  be  said.  Profane  historians  dif- 
fer ;  and  scripture  gives  but  scanty  infor- 
mation. The  deciphered  inscriptions  are 
reveahng  more,  but  are  not  yet  fully  ex- 
amined ;  new  ones  are  coming  to  light 
every  year.  Babylon  is  older  than  Nine- 
veh ;  it  was  the  beginning  of  Nimrod's  em- 
pire, but  not  content  with  the  settlements 
he  had  acquired,  he  invaded  the  country 
called  Asshur  from  the  son  of  Shem,  and 
there  founded  cities  afterwards  most  fa- 
mous. Gen.  10  :  8-12.  So  far  the  sacred  rec- 
ord would  seem  to  teach  us.  But  that  it 
mentions  an  early  Assyrian  kingdom  is  not 
certain.  Certain  eastern  monarchs  are 
named.  Gen.  14  : 1,  9,  as  pushing  their  con- 
quests westwards,  but  there  is  a  record  of  a 
Chaldean  but  not  of  an  Assyrian  king 
among  them.  Says  Prof  Brown  :  "  We 
find  mention  in  the  inscriptions  of  Persia 
(Parsua),  Elam  (Elamtu),  with  Susa  (Shus- 
han,  cf  Neh.  1  : 1,  etc.),  its  capital,  and 
Media  (Mada),  with  Ecbatana  (Agamtanu 
=  Achmetha,  Ezra  6  :  2),  its  capital,  and  Ar- 
menia (Urartu  =  Ararat,  2  Kings  19 :  37), 
and  the  land  of  the  Hittites  (Chatti),  who, 
we  thus  learn,  as  well  as  from  the  Egyp- 
tian inscriptions,  had  their  chief  seat  far  to 
the  north  of  Damascus— Carchemish  (Gar- 
gamish),  their  capital,  being  on  the  Eu- 
phrates, not  far  from  the  latitude  of  Nine- 
veh (modern  Jerabis).  The  river  Habor 
(Chabur),  of  2  Kings  17  : 6,  is  a  river  often 
named  that  flows  into  the  middle  Euphra- 
tes from  the  northeast,  and  Gozan  (Guzanu) 
34 


(■ib.)  is  a  city  and  district  in  the  immediate 
vicinity.  These  are  but  a  few  of  the  im- 
portant identifications."  At  first  the  Assy- 
rian empire  was  confined  within  narrow 
hmits ;  it  became  at  length,  by  the  addition 
of  neighboring  districts,  a  formidable  state. 
Left  partially  under  the  sway  of  their  own 
chiefs,  who  were  reduced  to  vassalage,  they 
continually  had  or  took  occasion  for  revolt. 
This  led  to' the  deportations  of  captives,  to 
break  the  independent  spirit  of  feudatory 
states,  and  render  rebelhon  more  diificult 
and  hopeless.  The  Assyrian  empire,  at  its 
widest  extent,  seems  to  have  reached  from 
the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  the  river  Halys 
in  the  west,  to  the  Caspian  and  the  Great 
Desert  in  the  east,  and  from  the  northern 
frontier  of  Armenia  south  to  the  Persian 
Gulf.  Abraham  came  from  Ur  Kasdim 
(Ur  of  the  Chaldees),  according  to  Gen.  11 : 
28,  31 ;  15  : 7  ;  Neh.  9:7.  "  The  only  known 
Ur  situated  in  the  territoiy  of  the  Chal- 
deans is  the  city  of  Uru,  lying  on  the  right 
bank  of  the  Euphrates,  far  below  Baby- 
lon, whose  site  now  bears  the  name  Mu- 
qayyar  {Muglicir).  The  identification  of 
this  with  the  bibhcal  Ur  Kasdim  has  been 
disputed,  but  the  arguments  against  it  are 
not  conclusive,  and  no  other  satisfactory 
identification  has  been  proposed.  We  are 
therefore  entitled  to  hold  that  the  Hebrew's 
were,  from  the  beginning  of  their  historj-, 
under  the  influence  not  only  of  the  com- 
mon stock  of  Shemitic  endowments,  cus- 
toms, and  beliefs,  but  also  of  tho.se  that 
were  specifically  Babylonian."  After  Abra- 
ham, for  nearly  1200  years,  we  have  no 
record  of  the  contact  of  Hebrews  with  As- 
syrian or  Babylonian  peoples.  In  the  ninth 
century,  B.  c,  Nineveh  and  Assyria  push 
into  Hebrew  territory.  Shalmanezer  II. 
encounters  Benhadad  of  Damascus,  and 
probably  Ahab  of  Israel.  The  dark  cloud 
threatening  Israel  and  Judah  from  As.syria 
for  their  unfaithfulness  to  God  is  described 
in  strains  of  solemn  warning.  Sometimes 
"  the  nations  from  far  "  are  spoken  of;  and 
their  terrific  might  and  mode  of  warfare 
are  detailed  without  naming  them.  Isa.  5  : 
26-30.  Sometimes  in  express  words  the 
king  of  Assyria  is  said  to  be  summoned  as 
the  Lord's  executioner,  and  the  desolation 
he  should  cause  is  vividly  depicted.  Isa.  8 : 
17-25.  Samaria  would  fall ;  and  her  fall 
might  well  admonish  Judah.  Judah  should 
deeply  sufi'er.  The  invader  should  march 
through  her  territory  ;  but  the  Lord  would 
eftectually  defend  Jerusalem.  Isa.  10  : 5-34. 
The  Assyrian  king,  in  the  might  of  his 
power,  subjected  the  ten  tribes,  and  car- 
ried multitudes  of  them  into  the  far  east ; 
he  passed  also  hke  a  flood  over  the  country 
of  Judah,  taking  many  of  the  cities 
throughout  her  territory :  and  in  his  pre- 
sumptuous boldness  he  conceived  that  no 
earthly  power  could  resist  him,  and  even 
defied  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Jacob.  But 
the  firm  purpose  of  the  Lord  was  to  defend 
that  citv  to  save  it.  The  catastrophe  is  re- 
lated with  awful  brevity  :  '•  Then  the  angel 
of  the  Lord  went  forth,  and  smote  in  the 
camp  of  the  Assyrians  an  hundred  and 
four  score  and  five  thousand;  and,  when 


ASSYRIA 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ATHENS 


they  arose  early  in  the  morning,  behold 
they  were  all  dead  corpses."  Isa.  37,  The 
Assyrian  empire  attained  afterwards  prob- 
ably its  greatest  power  and  widest  extent. 
But  it  was  doomed. 

In  later  Persian  times  "  the  Ahashwerosh 
(Ahasuerus)  of  Ezra  4  : 6  and  the  book  of 
Esther  is  Xerxes,  the  son  of  Darius,  b.  c. 
486-464:  and  the  Artachshashta  (Artaxer- 
xes)  of  Ezra  4  :  7,  8,  11,  23,  etc.,  Neh.  2 : 1 ;  5 : 
14,  etc.,  is  the  son  of  Xerxes,  Artaxerxes 
Longimanus,  b.  c.  464-425.  Ezra  4 :  7,  8, 
etc.,  is  thought  by  many  to  refer  to  the  false 
Smerdis,  the  pretended  brother  of  Cam- 
byses,  who  in  B.  c.  522  reigned  eight 
months;  but  the  difficulty  in  supposing 
both  that  he  had  the  name  Artaxerxes  and 
that  Artaxerxes  in  the  dilferent  passages 
does  not  refer  to  the  same  pereons  is  too 
great."  Finally,  in  "Darius  the  Persian," 
Neh.  12  :  22,  we  have  a  reference  to  Darius 
Codomannus,  b.  c.  336-330.  He  who  rules 
justly  in  the  world  would  destroy  Assyria 
(which  had  been  long  before  warned  by 
Jonah),  as  Assyria  had  destroyed  other  king- 
doms. Accordingly,  in  the  prophecies  of 
Nahum  and  Zephaniah,  we  find  denuncia- 
tions predicting  the  entire  downfall  of  this 
haughty  power.  The  language  is  fearfully 
precise.  Nah.  1 ;  2 ;  3 ;  Zeph.  2 :  13-15.  The 
work  of  destruction  seems  to  have  been 
effected  by  the  Medes  and  Babylonians. 
Assyria  fell,  and  was  never  again  reckoned 
among  the  nations ;  the  very  places  being 
for  long  centuries  unknown  where  her 
proudest  cities  had  stood.  The  people. — The 
excavations  which  have  been  so  success- 
fully prosecuted  have  supplied  a  fund  of 
information  as  to  the  manners  and  habits 
of  the  Assyrians.  The  sovereign  was  the 
despotic  ruler  and  the  pontiff,  and  the  pal- 
aces contained  also  the  temples.  With  no 
hmitation  of  the  monarch's  power,  the  peo- 
ple were  kept  in  a  servile  condition  and 
in  moral  degradation.  The  conquered 
provinces  being  placed  under  the  author- 
ity of  dependent  princes,  insurrections  were 
frequent ;  and  the  sovereign  was  almost 
always  engaged  in  putting  do^vn  some 
struggle  for  independence.  War  was  waged 
with  ruthless  ferocity.  Cities  were  attacked 
by  raising  artificial  mounds ;  the  besieging 
armies  sheltered  themselves  behind  shields 
of  wicker-work,  and  battered  the  defences 
Avith  rams.  In  the  field  they  had  formida- 
ble war  chariots.  And  the  sculptures  ex- 
hibit the  modes  of  cruelty  practiced  upon 
those  that  were  subdued.  They  were 
flayed,  they  were  impaled ;  their  eyes  and 
tongues  were  cut  out ;  rings  were  placed  in 
their  lips;  and  their  brains  w^ere  beaten 
out  with  maces.  Comp.  Ezek.  26  : 7-12. 
The  Assyrians  worshipped  a  multitude  of 
gods.  Asshur  (probably  the  Nisroch  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  the  eagle-headed  deity  of 
the  sculptures),  was  the  chief.  But  there 
were  4000  others,  presiding  over  the  phe- 
nomena of  nature  and  the  events  of  life. 
The  architecture  of  the  Assyrians  was  of  a 
vast  and  imposing  character.  In  the  fine 
arts  they  made  considerable  proficiency. 
Their  sculptures  are  diversified,  spirited, 
and  faithful.     They  had,  however,  httle 


knowledge  of  perspective,  and  did  not 
properly  distinguish  between  the  front  and 
the  side  views  of  an  object.  Animals,  there- 
fore, were  represented  with  five  legs ;  and 
sometimes  two  horses  had  but  two  fore- 
legs. The  later  sculptures  are  found  to  be 
better  than  the  earlier.  The  Assyrians  \vere 
skilled  in  engraving  even  the  hardest  sub- 
stances. They  were  famihar  with  metal- 
lurgy, and  manufactured  glass  and  enam- 
els ;  they  carved  ivory,  and  varnished  and 
painted  pottery.  They  indulged  in  the 
luxuries  of  hfe.  Men  wore  bracelets,  chains, 
and  ear-rings,  flowing  robes  ornamented 
with  emblematic  devices  wrought  in  gold 
and  silver ;  they  had  long-fringed  scarfs 
and  embroidered  girdles.  The  vestments 
of  officials  were  generally  symbolical ;  the 
head-dress  was  characteristic ;  and  the  king 
alone  wore  the  pointed  tiara.  The  beard 
and  hair  were  carefully  arranged  in  arti- 
ficial curls ;  and  the  eyebrows  and  eye- 
lashes were  stained  black.  Of  the  women 
there  are  few  representations.  The  Avea- 
pons  of  war  were  richly  ornamented,  es- 
pecially the  swords,  shields  and  quivers. 
The  helmets  were  of  brass,  inlaid  with 
copper.  The  chariots  were  embellished, 
and  the  horses  sumptuously  caparisoned. 
Their  hterature  was  extensive— grammars, 
dictionaries,  geographies,  sciences,  annals, 
panegyrics  on  conquerors,  and  invocations 
of  the  gods.  Little,  however,  can  be  ex- 
pected from  a  series  of  inscriptions,  dic- 
tated by  the  ruling  powers,  who  did  not 
hesitate  sometimes  to  falsify  the  records  of 
their  predecessors.  The  wealth  of  Assyria 
was  derived  from  conquest,  from  agricul- 
ture, for  which  their  country  was  favorably 
circumstanced,  and  from  comn\erce,  for 
which  they  had  peculiar  facilities.  The 
recent  explorations  have  brought  to  light 
immense  libraries  iHustrating  the  habits 
and  life  of  a  cultured  people,  recording 
their  history  on  clay  tablets,  2000  years  be- 
fore Abraham.  The  ruins  are  a  splendid 
monument  in  testimony  of  the  truth  of 
prophecy  and  of  Scripture. 

Allialiali  (dth-a-ll'ah),  whom  Jehovah  af- 
flicts. 1.  The  daughter  of  Ahab  by  Jezebel. 
She  was  married  to  Jehoram,  king  of  Judah ; 
and,  when  her  son  Ahaziah  was  slain  by 
Jehu,  she  destroyed  the  rest  of  the  royal 
family  except  Joash,  an  infant,  who  was 
concealed  in  the  temple  by  his  aunt  Jeho- 
sheba  (most  likely  not  Athaliah's  daughter), 
the  wife  of  Jehoiada  the  high  priest.  Ath- 
aliah  usurped  the  throne  for  six  years, 
884-878  b.  c.  In  the  seventh  year,  Jehoiada 
brought  out  the  young  prince.  Athaliah, 
probably  engaged  in  her  idolatrous  wor- 
ship in  the  house  of  Baal,  heard  the  shouts 
of  the  people,  rushed  into  the  temple,  and 
saw  the  young  king  standing  by,  or  per- 
haps on  "a  pillar  or  platform ;  but  her  cry 
of  "treason"  only  caused  her  own  arrest 
and  deserved  execution.  2  Kings  8  :  18,  26 ; 
11;  2  Chron.  22:2,  10-23;  21;  24:7.  2.  A 
Benjamite.  1  Chron.  8:26.  3.  One  whose 
son,  with  many  of  the  same  family,  re- 
turned from  Babylon  with  Ezra.    Ezra  8 : 7 

Athens  (nth'enz).  The  chief  town  of 
Attica  (now  Greece) ;  was  visited  by  Paul  ou 
35 


ATONEMENT 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ATONEMENT 


his  second  missionaiy  journey,  after  he  had 
been  sent  away,  for  safety,  from  Berea. 
Acts  17  :  13-15.  Athens,  in  the  time  of  the 
apostle,  was  included  in  the  Roman  prov- 
ince of  Achaia,  but  was  a  free  city,  retain- 
ing some  of  the  foiTQs  which  had  belonged 
to  it  in  its  palmy  days.  The  Athenians, 
curious  and  inquisitive,  as  they  had  ever 
been,  mockingly  desired  Paul  to'  give  them 
some  account  of  the  new  doctrine  he  was 
setting  forth.  For  both  in  the  Jews'  syna- 
gogue, and  also  in  the  agora  or  market- 
place, he  had  disputed  with  those  who 
came  to  him,  and  had  preached  the  gospel 
of  Jesus,  raised  by  God's  mighty  power  from 
the  dead.  Within  the  city  were  four  notable 
hills,  three  northward,  forming  almost  a 
semicircle.  The  Acropohs,  or  citadel,  was 
the  most  easterly  of  these :  it  was  a  rock 
about  150  feet  high.  Next,  westward,  was 
a  lower  eminence,  the  Areopagus  or  Mars' 
Hill,  and  then  the  Pnyx,  where  the  assem- 
blies of  the  people  were  held.  To  the  south 
of  these  three  hills  was  a  fourth,  the 
Museum.  The  agora  lay  in  the  valley  be- 
tween the  four.  It  has  been  supposed'that 
there  were  two  market-xjlaces,  but  it  is  now 
satisfactorily  proved  that  there  Avas  but 
one.  The  localities,  therefore,  Mhich  Paul 
frequented,  are  readily  understood.  He 
w^as  taken  from  the  agora,  and  brought  up 
to  the  Areopagus,  where  he  delivered  his 
wonderful  address.  Acts  17  :  18-31.  His 
preaching  made  no  great  impression :  the 
philosophers  despised  it.  Some,  however, 
clave  to  him ;  and  a  Christian  com- 
munity was  formed  of  whom  were  Dionysius 
the  Areopagite,  Acts  17  :  32-34,  Damans  and 
others.  Modern  Athens,  situated  about  five 
miles  from  the  sea,  its  port  being  the  Piraeus, 
has  been  made  the  capital  of  the  present 
kingdom  of  Greece. 

Atonement.  (Literally,  a  setting  at  one.) 
Satisfaction  or  reparation  made  for  an  in- 
jury, by  doing  or  suffering  that  which  will 
De  received  in  satisfaction  for  an  offence 
or  injury'.  Specifically,  in  the  Bible  :  The 
expiation  of  sin  made  by  the  obedience, 
personal  sufferings,  and  death  of  Christ. 
Human  language  is  imperfect,  and  human 
conceptions  are  often  defective,  when  ap- 
phed  to  the  Most  High.  He  is  not  touched 
with  anger,  resentment,  etc.,  in  the  gross 
sense  in  which  we  commonly  use  the 
terms.  We  have,  therefore,  to  take  care 
that  we  do  not  represent  him  as  hard  to  be 
molhfied,  with  a  thirst  of  vengeance  to  be 
slaked  by  the  suffering  of  a  victim.  No- 
where does  Scripture  assert  that  the  Father 
had  a  purpose  of  burning  Avrath  against  the 
world,  which  was  changed  by  the  interpo- 
sition of  the  Son,  on  whom' it  hghted,  so 
that,  satiated  by  his  punishment,  he  spared 
mankind.  The  Scripture  rather  teaches  that 
"  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his 
only-begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  beheveth 
in  him  should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal 
life."  John  3: 16.  "God  is  love."  1  John 
4 :  16.  But  God  cannot  "  behold  evil "  with 
complacency.  Hab.l:13.  It  is  consequently 
impossible  that  he  can  pass  over  it.  Hence 
he  threatens  to  Aisititwith  a  penaltv  :  "  the 
soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die."    Ezek.  18 : 4. 


His  infinite  holiness  and  justice,  and  the 
intrinsic  demerit  of  sin,  lequire  this.  Thw 
proper  idea  of  an  atonement  ii  that  wliich 
brings  the  forgiveness  of  transgressors  into 
harmony  with  all  the  perfections  of  the 
Godhead.  One  of  these  perfections  must 
not  be  exalted  to  the  depression  of  another : 
all  must  be  equally  and  fully  honored. 
Redemption,  devised  in  the  counsels  of  the 
eternal  Three,  was  carried  fon^^ard  by  the 
Son  of  God,  who  became  man,  that  in  the 
nature  that  had  sinned  he  might  make  satis- 
faction for  sin.  He  made  this  satisfaction 
by  liis  obedience  unto  death,  perfectly  ful- 
fiihng  the  divine  law,  for  he  "did  no  sin ; " 
and  enduring  the  penalty  of  it,  for  "his 
own  self  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on 
the  tree."  1  Peter  2  :  22, 24.  In  such  a  sac- 
rifice, God's  judgment  against  the  evil  and 
desert  of  sin  Avas  most  illustriously  dis- 
played. As  no  other  sacrifice  of  like  value 
could  be  found,  proof  AA'as  given  to  the  uni- 
verse that  sin  Avas  the  most  disastrous  evil, 
and  that  its  "  punishment  was  not  the  arbi- 
trary act  of  an  inexorable  judge,  but  the 
unavoidable  result  of  perfect  holiness  and 
justice,  CA'Cn  in  a  Being  of  infinite  mercy." 
The  objections  urged  against  the  doctrine' of 
the  atonement,  as  if  a  vicarious  sacrifice  for 
sin  were  irrational,  or  placed  the  character 
of  the  Deity  in  an  unamiable  hght,  are  not, 
when  sifte'd,  found  to  be  \evy  cogent.  It 
must  alAvays  be  remembered  that  Christ's 
atonement 'av as  not  to  induce  God  to  shOAV 
mercy,  but  to  make  the  exercise  of  his  love 
to  sinners  consistent  with  the  honor  of  his 
law  and  the  pure  glor>'  of  his  name.  Sin  is 
therein  especially  branded  ;  and  God's  wis- 
dom, righteousness,  holiness,  faithfulness, 
and  mercy,  are  most  eminently  displayed. 
And,  Avhe'reas  it  is  said  that  he  must  forgive 
freely  Avithout  requiring  satisfaction,  be- 
cause he  commands  his  creatures  freely  to 
forgive,  it  is  forgotten  that  the  cases  are  not 
parallel.  Private  offences  are  to  be  forgiven 
freely.  But  a  ruler  must  execute  his  ju.st 
laws.  And  so  God  is  a  great  King,  and  as  a 
king  he  administers  pubhc  justice  and  will 
not  arbitrarily  clear  the  gmlty.  Doubtless 
there  is  much  in  his  purposes  and  plans 
Avhich  Ave  are  incapable  of  rightly  estimat- 
ing. Enough  is  revealed  to  shOAV  us  that 
"  God  Avas  in  Christ,  reconcihng  the  world 
unto  himself,  not  imputing  their  trespasses 
unto  them."  2  Cor.  5  :  19.  But  Ave  should 
recollect  that,  "as  the  heaA^ens  are  higher 
than  the  earth,  so  are"  his  "Avays  higher 
than"  our  "Avays  and"  his  "thoughts 
than  "  our  "  thoughts."    Isa.  55  : 9. 

The  day  of  exj)iation,  or  atonement,  was 
a  yearly  solemnity,  obserA'ed  Avith  rest  and 
fasting  on  the  tenth  day  of  Tishri,  five 
days  before  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  Lca'.  * 
23  :  27 ;  25  : 9 ;  Num.  29  : 7.  This  Avould  noAV 
be  in  the  early  part  of  October.  The  cere- 
monies of  this  day  are  described  in  Lev.  16. 
On  tliis  day  alone  the  high  priest  entered 
the  Most  Holy  Place.  Heb.  9  : 7.  The  va- 
rious rites  required  him  to  enter  several 
times  on  this  day  robed  in  white  :  first  with 
a  golden  censer  and  a  A^essel  filled  with  in- 
cense ;  then  with  the  blood  of  the  bullock, 
Avhich  he  had  offered  for  his  own  sins  and 


ATTALIA 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


BAAt. 


those  of  all  the  priests.  The  third  time  he 
entered  with  the  blood  of  the  ram  which 
he  had  offered  for  the  sins  of  the  nation. 
The  fourtli  time  he  entered  to  bring  out 
the  censer  and  vessel  of  incense  ;  and  hav- 
ing returned,  he  washed  his  hands  and 
performed  the  other  services  of  the  day. 
The  ceremony  of  the  scapegoat  also  took 
place  on  this  day.  Two  goats  were  set 
apart,  one  of  which  was  sacrificed  to  tlie 
Lord,  while  the  other,  the  goat  for  com- 
plete separation,  was  chosen  by  lot  to  be 
set  at  Uberty.  Lev.  16 :  20-22.  These  sol- 
emn rites  pointed  to  Christ.  Heb.  9 :  Il- 
ls. As  this  day  of  expiation  was  the  great 
fast-day  of  the  Jewish  church,  so  godly 
sorrow  for  sin  characterizes  the  Cliristian's 
looking  unto  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  "  the 
rapture  of  pardon  "  is  mingled  with  "  peni- 
tent tears." 

Attalia  {at-ta-ll'ah).  A  seaport  town  of 
Pamphylia,  Acts  14 :  25,  named  from  its 
founder.  Attains ;  later  it  was  called  Satalia, 
and  now  Adaha. 

Augustus  {du-gus'tiis),  venerable.  A  title 
given  to  the  Csesars  by  the  Roman  Senate, 
first  appUed  in  B.  c.  27  to  C.  J.  C.  Octavianus. 
This  was  four  years  after  the  battle  of  xic- 
tium.  Augustus  was  the  emperor  who  ap- 
pointed the  enrollment,  Luke  2  : 1,  causing 
Joseph  and  Mary  to  go  to  Bethlehem,  the 
place  where  Jesus  was  born.  He  also  closed 
the  temple  of  Janus,  in  token  of  the  rare 
occurrence,  a  universal  peace ;  thus  uncon- 
isciously  celebrating  tlie  coming  of  tlie 
Prince  of  Peace.  He  died  a.  d.  14,  having 
two  years  before  admitted  Tiberius  Caesar 
to  a  share  in  the  government.  In  Acts  25 : 
21,  25,  the  title  (translated  the  emperor  in 
R.  V.)  refers  to  Nero. 

Aven  {a'ven),  nothingness.  1.  The  name 
applied  to  the  city  elsewhere  called  On,  or 
Hehopohs.  Ezek.  30 :  17.  2.  A  contracted 
form,  Hos.  10 : 8,  of  Beth-aven,  i.  e.,  Bethel. 
3.  A  place  mentioned  by  Amos,  1 : 5,  called 
Bikath-aven  in  the  margin  of  A.  V.  It 
seems  to  be  a  "  plain  "  or  valley  in  Lebanon, 
where  Baalbek  is  situated,  still  called  el 
Buka'a. 

Avenger  of  Blood.  It  was,  and  even 
still  is,  a  common  practice  among  nations 
of  patriarchal  habits,  that  the  nearest  of 
kin  should,  as  a  matter  of  duty,  avenge  the 
death  of  a  murdered  relative.  The  law  of 
Moses  was  very  precise  in  its  directions  on 
the  subject  of  retaliation.  1.  The  wilful 
murderer  was  to  be  put  to  death  without 
the  right  of  redemption.  The  nearest 
relative  of  the  deceased  became  the  au- 
thorized avenger  of  blood.  Num.  35  :  19. 
2.  The  law  of  retaliation  was  not  to  extend 
beyond  the  immediate  offender.  Dent.  24  : 
16  ;  2  Kings  14  :  6  ;  2  Chron.  25  : 4 ;  Jer.  31 : 
29,  30;  Ezek.  18:20.  3.  The  shedder  of 
blood  could  fly  to  one  of  six  Le\itical  cities, 
appointed  as  cities  of  refuge,  and  be  safe, 
until  proved  guilty  of  wilful  murder.  Num. 
35 :  22-25 ;  Deut.  19 : 4-6. 

Azariali  {az-a-rl'ah),  whom  Jehovah  helps. 
2  Kings  14 :  21.  There  are  24  persons  of  this 
name  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testp-ment. 
The  most  distinguished  of  them  was  Aza- 
riah  (caUed  also  Uzziah),  the  son  and  suc- 


cessor of  Amaziah,  on  the  throne  of  Judah. 
He  was,  in  many  respects,  an  excellent 
king ;  but,  being  elated  by  his  prosperity, 
he  aspired  to  execute  the  office  of  a  priest, 
and  to  offer  incense  in  the  temple.  In  this 
he  was  resisted  by  the  priests,  and  while 
enraged  by  their  interference,  the  leprosy 
broke  out  upon  Ms  forehead,  and  remained 
upon  him  until  the  day  of  his  death ;  so 
that  he  was  obhged  to  spend  the  latter  part 
of  his  hfe  in  solitude.    2  Chron.  26  :  21. 

Azekali  (a-ze'kah),  dug  over,  broken  itp. 
A  place  to  whicli  Joshua's  pui-suit  of  the 
Amorites  extended  after  the  battle  for  the 
relief  of  Gibeon,  Josh.  10 :  10, 11.  It  stood 
in  the  plain  country  of  Judah,  to  which 
tribe  it  was  allotted.  Josh.  15  :  35.  In  later 
times  we  find  the  Phihstines  pitching  near 
it,  1  Sam.  17 : 1 ;  it  was  fortified  by  Keho- 
boam,  2  Chron.  11 : 9,  and  was  one  of  the 
last  towns  taken  by  Nebuchadnezzar  in 
Zedeldah's  reign  before  Jerusalem  felL  Jer. 
34 : 7.  It  was  again  inhabited  after  the  re- 
turn from  captivity.    Neli.  11 :  30. 


Baal  (ba/cU),  lord.  1.  A  Reubenite.  I 
Chron.  5:5.  2.  The  son  of  Jehiel,  and 
grandfather  of  SauL    1  Chron.  8 :  30 ;  9 :  38 

BaaL  The  prevailing  worship  of  the 
Phcenician  and  Canaanitish  nations,  as 
Ashtoreth  was  their  prominent  goddess. 
There  can  he  no  doubt  of  the  great  antiq- 
uity of  the  worship  of  Baal.  It  prevailed 
in  the  time  of  Moses  among  the  Moabites 
and  Midianites,  Num.  22:41,  and  through 
them  spread  to  the  Israelites.  Num.  25 : 3- 
18;  Deut.  4:3.  In  the  times  of  the  kings 
it  became  the  religion  of  the  court  and 
people  of  the  ten  tribes,  1  Kings  16 :  31-33 ; 
18  :  19,  22,  and  appears  never  to  have  been 
wholly  abolished  among  them.  2  Kings 
17  :  16.  Temples  were  erected  to  Baal  in 
Judah,  1  Kings  16 :  32,  and  he  was  wor- 
shipped with  much  ceremony.  1  Kings  18 : 
19,  26-'28 ;  2  Kings  10  :  22.  The  rehgion  of 
the  ancient  British  islands  resembled  thi? 
ancient  worship  of  Baal.  The  Babylonian 
Bel,  Isa.  46  : 1,  or  Belus,  is  supposed  to  be 
identical  with  Baal,  though  perhaps  under 
some  modified  form.  The  plural,  Baalim, 
is  found  frequently,  and  the  singular,  Baal, 
in  difierent  compounds,  among  which  ap- 
pear— 

1.  Baal-berith  (bd'al-be'rith),  the  covenant 
Baal.  Judg.  8:33;  9:4.  The  God  who 
comes  into  covenant  with  the  worshippers. 

2.  Baal-hanan  {bd'al-hd'nan).  1.  The 
name  of  one  of  the  earlv  kings  of  Ednm. 
Gen.  36  :  38,  39 ;  1  Chron.  1 :  49,  50.  2.  Tl.e 
name  of  one  of  David' s  officers,  who  liad 
the  superintendence  of  his  olive  and  syca- 
more plantations.    1  Chron.  27  :  28. 

3.  Baal-peor  (bd'al-pe'or),  lord  of  the 
opening,  i.  e.,  for  others^to  join  in  the  wor- 
ship. The  narrative,  Num.  25,  seems  clearly 
to  show  that  this  form  of  Baal-worship  was 
connected  with  licentious  rites. 

4.  Baal-zebub  {ba'al-ze'bab),  lord  of  tlie 
fly,  and  worsliipped  at  Ekron.  2  Kings  1 : 
2,  3, 16. 


BAAL 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY' 


BABYLON 


Baal  also  occurs  as  the  prefix  or  suffix 
to  the  names  of  several  places  iu  Palestine. 
Some  of  them  are— 

1.  Baal,  a  town  of  Simeon,  named  only 
in  1  Chron.  4  :  3o,  which  from  the  parallel 
lifst  in  Josh.  19  •  8  seems  to  have  been  iden- 
tical with  Baalath-beer. 

2.  Baalah  (bd'ai-ah),  mistress.  1.  An- 
other name  for  Kirjath-jearbi,  or  Kir- 
jath-baal,  perhaps  now  Kurietel  Enab(?). 
Jdsn.  15:9,  lU;  1  Chron.  13:6.  2.  A  town 
in  the  south  of  Judah,  Josh.  15:29,  which 
in  19  : 3  is  called  Balah,  and  iu  the  paral- 
lel hst,  1  Chron.  4  :  29,  Bilhah. 

3.  Baalath  (hd'al-<Uh),  mistress,  a  town 
of  Dan  named  with  Cibbethon,  Gath-rim- 
mon  and  other  Philistine  places.  Josh.  19  : 
44. 

4.  Baalath-beer  {bd'al-ath-be'er),  lord  of 
the  well.  A  town  iu  the  south  part  of  Judah, 
given  to  Simeon,  which  also  bore  the  name 
of  Ramath-negeb,  or  "the  height  of  the 
south."    Josh.  19  : 8. 

5.  Baal-gad  (ba'al-gnd),  lord  of  fortune, 
used  to  denote  the  most  northern,  Josh.  U  : 
17  ;  12  : 7,  or  perhaps  northwestern,  13  : 5, 
point  to  which  Joshua's  victories  extended. 
Possibly  it  was  a  Phoenician  or  Canaan)  te 
sanctuary  of  Baal  under  the  aspect  of  Gad, 
or  Fortune. 

6.  Baal-hamon  (bfVcd-hd'mov),  lord  of  a 
multitude.  A  place  at  which  Solomon  had 
a  vineyard,  evidently  of  great  extent.  Song 
of  Sol.  8  :  11. 

7.  Baal-hazor  {bd'al-hd'zor),  village  of 
Baal.  A  place  where  Absalom  appears  to 
have  had  a  sheep-farm,  and  where  Amnon 
was  murdered.    2  Sam.  13  :  23. 

8.  Mount  Baal-hermon  {bd'al-her'mon), 
lord  of  Hermon,  Judg.  3:3,  and  simply 
Baal-hermon,  1  Chron.  5 :  23.  This  is  usual  ly 
considered  as  a  distinct  place  from  Mount 
Hermon;  but  we  know  that  this  mountain 
had  at  least  three  names,  Deut.  3 : 9,  and 
Baal-hermon  may  have  been  a  fourth  in 
use  among  the  Phceniciau  worshippers  of 
Baal. 

9.  Baal-meon  (bd'al-vie'on),  lord  of  the 
house.  One  of  the  towns  built  by  the  Reuben- 
ites.  Num.  32  :  :38.  It  also  occurs  in  1  Chron. 
5:8,  and  on  each  occasion  with  Nebo.  In 
the  time  of  Ezekiel  it  was  Moabite,  one  of 
the  cities  which  were  the  "glory  of  the 
countiy."    Ezek.  25  : 9. 

10.  Baal-perazim  (bd'al-p^r'a-zlm,  orpe- 
rd'zim),  lord  of  divisions.  The  scene  of  a 
victory  of  David  over  the  PhiUstines,  and 
of  a  g'reat  destruction  of  their  images.  2 
Sam.  5:20;  1  Chron.  14:11.  See  Isa.  28: 
21,  where  it  is  called  Mount  Perazim. 

11.  Baal-shalisha  (bd'al-shrd'i-shah),lord 
of  Shalisha.  A  place  named  only  in  2 
Kings  4  •  42,  apparently  not  far  from  Gilgal ; 
Comp.  4 :  38. 

12.  Baal-tamar  (bd'al-td'mar),  lord  of  the 
palm  tree.  A  place  named  only  in  Judges 
20  :  ;33,  as  near  Gibcah  of  Benjamin.  The 
palm  tree  (tamar)  of  Deborah,  Judg.  4,  5, 
was  situated  somewhere  in  the  locality. 

13.  Baal-zephon  (bd'al-ze'pho7i),  lord  of 
the  north.  A  place  in  Egypt  near  where 
the  Israelites  crossed  the  Red  Sea,  Num. 
33 ;  7 ;  Ex.  14  : 2,  9.  probably  on  the  western 

88 


shore  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  a  little  below  its 
head. 

Baana  or  Baanah  (bd'a-nah),  son  of  af- 
fliction. 1.  A  Benjamite,  one  of  the  mur- 
derere  of  Ish-bosUeth.  2  Sam.  4  :  2,  5,  6,  9. 
2.  The  father  of  one  of  David's  warriors.  2 
Sam.  23 :  29 ;  1  Chron  11  :  :30.  3,  4.  Two  offi- 
cers under  Solomon.  1  Kings  4  :  12,  16.  5. 
One  who  returned  with  Zerubbabel.  Ezra 
2:2:  Neh.  7:7.  6.  A  person  whose  son  took 
part  in  rebuilding  the  w  all  of  Jerusalem. 
Neh.  3:4.  He  may  be  identical  with  the  one 
who  sealed  the  covenant.    Neh.  10 :  27. 

Baasha  (bd'a-shah),  luickedness,  or,  as 
some  suppose,  in  the  ivork.  Son  of  Ahijah, 
of  the  tribe  of  Issachar.  He  was  probably 
of  mean  origin.  At  the'siege  of  Gibbethon, 
he  conspired  against  Nadab,  king  of  Israel, 
killed  him  and  all  his  family,  and  pos- 
sessed himself  of  the  throne.  He  attempted 
to  fortify  Ramah,  with  a  view,  it  would 
seem,  of  preventing  the  acce.ss  of  the  Is- 
raelites into  Judah,  1  Kings  15  :  17,  but  his 
design  was  frustrated  by  a  Syrian  invasion, 
instigated  by  Asa,  king  of  Judah.  Baasha's 
evil  conduct  provoked  the  denunciation 
of  God's  judgments  upon  his  house,  as  pre- 
dicted by  Jehu  the  prophet.  He  rcgned 
24  years'  953-930  B.  c,  and  was  buried  in 
Tirzah.  his  capital.  1  Kings  15  :  16-22 ;  16 : 
1-7  ;  21 :  22 ;  2  Cnron.  16  : 1-f) ;  Jer.  41 : 9. 

Babel,  Tower  of  (bd'bel).  An  incom- 
plete building,  named  only  once  in  the 
Bible.  Gen.  11 : 4,  5.  It  was  in  the  plain 
of  Shinar,  and  made  of  burnt  bricks,  with 
"slime"  (probably  bitumen)  for  mortar. 
Jewish  tradition  ahd  early  profane  writers 
say  that  the  tower  was  destroyed.  The 
captive  Jews  at  Babylon  imagined  they 
recognized  it.  however,  in  the  famous  tem- 
ple of  Belus,  which  some  identify  with  the 
temple  of  Nebo  at  Borsippa,  the  modern 
Birs  Nimnid.  Rawlinson  thinks  that  Birs 
Nimrud  cannot  be  identical  with  either 
the  temple  of  Belus  or  the  tower  of  Babel, 
but  concedes  that  it  may  be  used  to  show 
the  probable  form  of  the  Babel  tower.  The 
Birs  Nimn'id  is  one  of  the  most  striking 
ruins  on  the  plain,  and  is  six  miles  south- 
west of  Hillah,  on  the  Euphrates.  This 
immense  mound  is  about  2300  feet  in  cir- 
cumference and  235  to  250  feet  high.  It 
was  built  of  burnt  bricks,  each  brick  being 
twelve  inches  square  and  four  inches  thick. 
Several  of  them  bear  an  inscription  of  Ne- 
buchadnezzar. The  tower  is  represented 
as  in  the  form  of  a  pyramid,  built  in  seven 
receding  stories,  each  placed  upon  the 
southwestern  side  of  the  one  below,  and 
each  of  the  first  three  being  26  feet  high, 
each  of  the  last  four  being  15  feet  high. 
On  the  seventh  story  was  a  temple,  con- 
taining, perhaps,  a  statue  of  the  god  Belus. 

Babylon  {bab'bu-lon).  Greek  fonn  of  Ba- 
bel. The  noted  capital  of  the  Chaldaan 
and  Babvlonian  empires,  situated  on  boih 
sides  of  the  Euphrates  river,  about  200  miles 
above  its  junction  with  the  Tigris.  300  miles 
from  th  -  Pei-sian  Gulf  The  valley  is  broad, 
and  the  river  Euphrates  is  now  about  600 
feet  wide  and  18  feet  deep  at  this  place. 
Babylon,  according  to  Herodotus,  was  a  vast 
square  on  both  sides  of  the  Euphrates,  ei> 


BABYLON 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


BABYLON 


closed  by  a  double  line  of  walls,  about  56 
miles  in  circuit  and  including  about  200 
square  miles.  Ctesias  and  others  make  the 
circuit  about  42  miles,  enclosing  about  106 
square  miles.  The  walls,  according  to  He- 
rodotus, were  about  335  feet  high  and  75 
feet  broad.  Ctesias,  quoted  by  Diodorus, 
states  tliat  they  were  200  feet  high  and  built 
by  2,000,000  men.  Later  writers,  regarding 
these  measurements  as  incredible,  give  the 
circuit  of  the  walls  at  about  40  miles,  their 
height  at  75  to  190  feet,  and  their  width  at 
32  feet,  or  wide  enough  to  allow  four 
chariots  to  drive  abreast  on  the  top.  M, 
Oppert  and  Rawlinson,  as  exy)lorers,  hold 
that  the  ruins  warrant  the  statement  of 
Herodotus  as  to  the  extent  of  Babylon. 
The  wall  of  Babylon  was  surmounted  by 
250  towers,  and  ft  had  100  gates  of  brass. 
Jer.  51 :  58 ;  Isa.  45  : 2.  Babylon  is  described 
as  cut  into  squares — some  say  676 — by 
straight  streets  crossing  each  other  at  right 
angles,  those  at  the  river  being  closed  by 
brazen  gates,  as  the  banks  of  the  river 
were  fortified  by  high  walls ;  the  river  was 
crossed  by  drawbridges  and  lined  with 
quays ;  the  two  palaces  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  river  were  connected  by  a  bridge, 
and  also  by  a  tunnel  under  the  river. 
Among  the  wonderful  buildings  were :  1. 
Nebuchadnezzar's  palace,  an  immense  pile 
of  buildings,  believed  to  be  nearly  six  miles 
in  circumference.  2.  The  hanging-gardens, 
one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world, 
built  by  Nebuchadnezzar  to  please  his  Me- 
dian queen,  Amytis,  who  longed  for  her 
native  mountains.  These  gardens  were  75 
feet  high  and  covered  three  and  a  half 
acres,  enclosed  in  an  area  of  larger  extent, 
some  say  1000  feet  on  each  side.  Upon  this 
mountain  was  soil  of  depth  to  support  the 
largest  trees,  and  the  water  was  drawn  up 
from  the  river  by  means  of  a  screw.  3. 
The  temple  of  Belus,  a  vast  pyramid  or 
tower,  600  feet  square,  having  eight  stages 
or  stories,  and  according  to  Rawlinson  480 
feet  higli,  with  a  winding  ascent  pass- 
ing around  it,  and  a  chapel  of  a  god  at 
the  top.  Babylon  is  named  over  250  times  in 
the  Bible.  It  was  founded  by  Nimrod,  Gen. 
10  :  10 ;  its  builders  were  dispersed.  Gen.  11 : 

9.  Then,  except  some  allusion  to  Shinar, 
Gen.  14  : 1,  the  Chaldteans,  Job.  1 :  17,  and 
the  Babylonish  garment  (R.  V.  "mantle  "), 
Josh.  7  :  21,  it  drops  out  of  Scripture  history 
until  the  era  of  the  captivity.  It  was  often 
subject  to  Assyria,  2  Chron.33  :  11,  and  was 
the  residence  of  at  least  oneAssvrian  king. 
After  the  fall  of  Nineveh,  b.  c'  625,  it  be- 
came an  independent  kingdom,  and  under 
Nebuchadnezzar  was  enlarged,  beautified, 
and  reached  the  height  of  its  magnificence. 
In  Isa.  13  :  19 ;  14  : 4,  it  is  called '''  the  glorv 
of  kingdoms,"  "the  golden  city,"  and  in 
Jer.  51 :  41  "  the  praise  of  the  whole  earth," 
etc.  It  was  the  home  of  the  chief  of  the 
captive  Jews.  Dan.  1 : 1-4.  Its  desolation 
was  frequently  foretold.  Isa.  13  : 4-22  ;  Jer. 
25  :  12 ;  50  : 2,  3 ;  51 ;  Dan.  2  :  31-38 ;  Hab.  1 : 5- 

10.  Even  before  Babylon  reached  the  sum- 
mit of  its  glorj'-,  Isaiah  prophesied:  "Bab- 
ylon, the  glory  of  kingdoms,  the  bCiiuly 
of  the  Chaldees'  excellencv,  shall   be  as 


when  God  overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomor- 
rah. It  shall  never  be  inhabited,  neither 
shall  it  be  dwelt  in  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration ;  neither  shall  tlie  Arabian  pitch 
tent  there;  neither  shall  the  siiepherds 
make  their  fold  there ;  but  wild  beasts  of 
the  desert  shall  lie  there."  Isa.  13:19-22; 
14  :  22 ;  23  :  47.  This  prophecy  has  been  lit- 
erally fulfilled.  It  describes  Babylon  as  it 
has  been  for  many  centuries  and  is  now. 
Cyrus  took  it ;  Darius  afterwards  rifled  it ; 
Xerxes  stripped  its  temples;  and  Alexan- 
der died  in  attempting  its  restoration.  The 
modern  town  of  Hillah  now  occupies  a 
portion  of  the  space  covered  by  the  ruins 
of  ancient  Babylon,  and  a  telegraph  con- 
nects it  with  the  city  of  Bagdad.  See 
Clialdaea  and  Assyria. 

Babylon,  in  Rev.  14  :  8 ;  16  :  19  ;  17  : 5 ; 
18  : 2,  21,  is  a  symbolical  name  for  heathen 
Rome,  which  took  the  place  of  ancient 
Babylon  as  a  persecuting  power.  This  is 
also  the  sense  given  to  Babylon  in  1  Pet.  5 : 
13  by  the  fathers  and  many  commentators ; 
but  others  refer  it  to  Babylon  in  Asia,  since 
it  is  quite  possible  that  Peter  labored  for  a 
while  in  that  city,  where  there  was  at  that 
time  a  large  Jewish  colony ;  still  others 
maintain  that  Babylon  in  Egypt,  now 
called  Old  Cairo,  is  meant. 

Babylon,  Province  or  Kingdom  of. 
The  country  of  which  Babylon  was  the 
capital.  Dan.  2  :  49 ;  3  : 1,  12,  30 ;  4  :  29.  Its 
boundaries  and  history  are  involved  in 
much  obscurity.  It  was  originally  known 
as  the  "  land  of  Shinar"  and  the  '*'  land  of 
Nimrod."  Gen.  10  :  10;  Micah  5:6.  It  was 
chiefly  between  the  Euphrates  and  Tigris 
rivers.  Asshur  or  Assyria  and  Mesopota- 
mia were  on  the  north,  Elam  and  Media 
on  the  east,  Chaldtea  on  the  south.  As 
Chaldaea  gained  in  power  its  name  was  ap- 
plied to  the  whole  country,  including  Bab- 
ylon. See  CUaldaja.  The  early  king- 
dom of  Babylon  is  generally  regarded  as 
covering  an  extent  of  about  27,000  square 
miles,  rich  of  soil  and  abundant  in  re- 
sources, the  home  of  one  of  the  earhest 
civihzed  nations.  After  the  time  of  Nimrod 
Babel  or  Babylon  appears  to  be  displaced 
in  Scripture  history  by  Chaldsea  until  the 
time  of  Joshua,  Josh.  7  :  21 ;  after  this  both 
again  disappear,  until  about  the  time  of 
the  captivity.  At  the  fall  of  Nineveh,  b.  c. 
625,  Babylonia  speedily  extended  its  sway 
over  most  of  western  Asia  and  Egypt,  and 
under  Nebuchadnezzar  became  a  vast  em- 
pire, lasting,  however,  less  than  a  century, 
and  fell  before  the  Medians  under  Cyrus 
and  Darius,  b.  c.  538,  and  soon  after  dropped 
out  of  history  as  a  separate  country.  In 
architecture,  sculpture,  science,  philosophy, 
astronomicaland  mathematical  knowledge, 
and  in  learning,  the  Babylonians  made 
original  investigations  and  "discoveries  not 
surpassed  by  any  other  ancient  people. 
"To  Babylonia,"  says  G.  Rawlinson,  "far 
more  than  to  Egypt,  we  owe  the  art  and 
learning  of  the  Greeks."— Five  Ancient 
Monarchies,  iii.  76,  In  religion  the  Babylo- 
nians differed  Uttle  from  the  early  Chal- 
dcTans.  Their  chief  deities  were  Bel,  Mero- 
dacli,  and  Nebo,    The  names  of  these  gods 


BACA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


BAPTISM 


frequently  appear  in  the  names  of  noted 
princes,  as  Bel-shazzar,  Nabo-polassar,  Me- 
rodach-baladan,  Evil-merodach,  Abed-nebo 
or  -nego.  Their  gods  were  worsliipped 
with  great  pomp  and  magnificence.  The 
temples  erected  in  honor  of  the  gods  and 
devoted  to  their  worship  were  celebrated 
for  their  vastness,  and  for  the  massiveness 
and  finish  of  their  soulptures.  Of  the  pre- 
cise mode  of  their  worship  little  is  known. 
It  was  conducted  by  priests,  through  whom 
the  worshippers  made  offerings,  often  of 
great  value,  and  sacrifices  of  oxen  and  goats. 
Images  of  the  gods  were  exhibited,  prob- 
ably on  frames  or  sacred  vehicles,  and,  as 
some  suppose,  were  sometimes  set  up  in 
a  public  place,  as  on  the  plain  of  Dura, 
Dan.  3:1;  but  late  investigations  indicate 
that  the  image  there  set  up  was  a  statue  of 
Nebuchadnezzar.— Sc/iaJ's  Diet.    The  em- 

Eire  began  with  the  accession  of  Nabo-po- 
issar,  B.  c.  62r) ;  was  in  its  greatest  prosper- 
ity during  the  reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar, 
lasting  44  yeare,  to  B.  c.  561.  See  Nebu- 
chadnezzar. Under  the  less  able  rulers 
who  followed,  the  power  of  the  empire  de- 
chned,  and  it  fell  a  comparatively  easy 
prey  to  the  Medo-Persians  under  Cyrus, 
B.  c.  538. 

Saca  (bd'ca),  weeping,  lavientation.  A 
valley  in  Palestine,  probably  sterile.  Ps. 
84:6  A.  v.;  but  the  R.  V.  translates  it 
"  weeping."  The  pilgrim-journeys  to  Jeru- 
salem are  here  described.  Those  who  so  go 
up,  "passing  through  the  valley  of  Aveep- 
ing,  make  it  a  spring,"  i.  e.,  the  sterile  land 
becomes  to  them  a  watered  valley.  The 
plural  of  this  word  is  rendered  "mulberry 
trees"  in  2  Sam.  5  :  23,  24 ;  1  Chron.  14  :  14, 
15. 

Badgers'  Skins.  Ex.  25  : 5 ;  Ezek.  16  : 
10  A.  V. ;  but  the  R.  V.  reads  "  seal-skins  " 
("porpoise-skin,"  in  the  margin)  in  both 
cases.  The  true  badger  is  rare,  if  known, 
in  Arabia.  It  is  beheved  that  the  skins 
meant  were  those  of  such  marine  animals 
as  the  dolphin,  dugong,  porpoise,  and  seal. 
Bag.  Deut.  25  :  13,  and  Luke  12  :  33, 
where  the  R.  V.  reads  "purses."  Eastern 
money  was  often  sealed  up  in  bags  contain- 
ing a  certain  sum,  for  which  they  passed 
current  while  the  seal  remained  unbroken. 

2  Kings  12  :  10.  The  same  custom  contin- 
ues at  this  day. 

Bahurim  {ba-hu'rim),  young  men.  A 
town  of  Benjamin,  near  Jerusalem,  on  the 
road  to  the  Jordan.  It  is  several  times 
mentioned  in  the  history  of  David.    2  Sam. 

3  :  16 ;  16  : 5 ;  17  :  18. 

Balaam  [bd'lam,  or  bd'la-am),  not  of  the 
people,  i.  e.,  a  foreigner.  The  son  of  Beor  or 
Bosor,  and  a  native  of  Pethor,  on  the  Eu- 
phrates. Num.  22  :  5.  Evidently  he  was 
an  unrighteous  man,  but  was  selected  for  a 
special  mission,  as  in  some  other  cases.  See 
1  Sam.  10 :  10 ;  1  Kings  13  :  18-20 ;  Matt.  7  :  22 ; 
John  11 :  51.  He  had  the  reputation  of  a 
famous  diviner.  When  the  Hebrews  were 
journeying  to  Canaan,  Balak  king  of 
Moab,  sent  for  Balaam,  to  curee  the  He- 
brew armies.  Balaam  ultimately  accepted 
the  tempting  offer,  and  returned  with  the 
messengers  to  Moab.  On  his  way  he  was 
40 


miraculously  informed  that  his  course  was 
wicked  and  perverse ;  and  he  was  effect- 
ually restrained  by  the  beast  on  which  he 
rode  from  doing  what  Balak  had  sent  for 
him  to  do.  So  far  from  cursing,  he  was  led 
to  pronounce  a  prophetic  blessing  on  the 
Hebrews,  in  language  which,  for  eloquence 
and  force,  is  hardly  surpassed  in  the  whole 
range  of  Hebrew*  poetry.  Balaam,  how- 
ever, seems  to  have  suggested  to  Balak  a 
much  more  certain  method  of  destroying 
them.  This  was  by  causing  the  young  wo- 
men of  Moab  to  inveigle  the  Hebrews  into 
the  impure  and  idolatrous  worship  of  Baal- 
Peor.  The  stratagem  was  successful,  and 
24.000  Hebrews  were  slain.  Num.  31 :  16 ;  2 
Pet.  2  :  15 ;  Jude  11 ;  Rev.  2  :  14.  Balaam 
himself  fell  shortly  afterwards  in  an  en- 
gagement between  the  Hebrews  and  the 
Midianites.    Num.  31 : 8 ;  Josh.  13  :  22. 

Balak.    See  Balaam. 

Balm  (from  balsam,  Heb.  tzdri,  tizri),  oc- 
curs in  Gen.  37  :  25  ;  43  :  11 ;  Jer.  8  :  22 ;  46  : 
11 ;  51 : 8 ;  Ezek.  27  :  17.  It  is  an  aromatic 
plant,  or  the  resinous  odoriferous  sap  or 
gum  which  exudes  from  such  plants.  It  is 
mi  possible  to  identify-  it  with  any  certainty. 
Hasselquist  has  given  a  description  of  the 
true  balsam  tree  of  Mecca.  He  says  that  the 
exudation  from  the  plant  "  is  of  a  yellow 
color,  and  pellucid.  It  has  a  fragrant  smell, 
which  is  resinous,  balsamic,  and  verj'  agree- 
able. It  is  very  tenacious  or  glutinous, 
sticking  to  the  fingers,  and  may  be  drawn 
into  long  threads." 

Bamah  {bd'mah),  high  place.  The  name 
apphed  to  idolatrous  places  of  worship. 
Ezek  20 :  29. 

Band.  A  band  of  Roman  soldiers  con- 
sisted of  the  tenth  part  of  a  legion,  called 
a  "cohort;"  it  varied,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  legion,  from  400  to  600  soldiere. 
Matt.  27  :  27 ;  Acts  21 :  31,  and  elsewhere. 

Baptism.  The  Scriptures  speak  of  bap- 
tism "in"  or  "with"  water,  "with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire,"  U&lt.  3 :  11 ; 
Actsl :  5 ;  and  Jesus  compared  his  sufferings 
to  "  a  baptism,"  Luke  12  :  50.  John  (called 
"  the  Baptist,"  Matt.  11 :  11 ;)  preached  "  the 
baptism  of  repentance,"  and  baptized  in  the 
river  Jordan  those  confessing  their  sins, 
Mark  1 : 4,  5.  Jesus  was  baptized  by  John 
"to  fulfill  all  righteousness,"  Matt.  ;i:15. 
His  disciples  were  baptizing  more  than  John, 
John  3  :  22 ;  4  : 1,  2.  Jesus  at  his  ascension 
appointed  baptism  for  all  disciples,  "Teach 
all  nations,  baptizing  them,"  etc.,  Matt. 
28:19.  Paul  says  the  baptized  "put  on 
Christ,"  Gal.  3  :  27  ;  and  "  by  one  Spirit  are 
baptized  into  one  body,"  1  Cor.  12 :  13.  Bap- 
tism with  water  is  associated  ^vith  remission 
of  sins,  Acts  2:0-5;  22 :  16 ;  and  birth  by  the 
Spirit,  John  3:5;  Acts  11 :  47.  Paul  speaks 
also  of  being  "  buried  with  him  [Christ]  in 
baptism  unto  death ;  that  hke  as  Christ  was 
raised  up  from  the  dead  , . ,  even  so  we," 
Rom.  6  :  4.  Baptism  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was 
bestowed  at  Jerusalem,  Samaria,  Cesarea 
and  Ephesus,  Acts  2:1-4;  6 :  17 ;  10  :  44 ;  19  ; 
6.  This  gift  sometimes  followed  and  some- 
times preceded  baptism  by  water.  Many 
instances  of  baptism  are  noted  :  the  terms 
"baptism,"  "baptized,"  and  "baptizing," 


BAK ABBAS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


BASHAN 


occurring  about  100  times  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. They  are  not  found  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, although  "wash,"  Ps.  51:2,7;  Jer. 
2:22,  and  "sprinkling,"  Lev.  7:14;  Num. 
8:7;  Ezek.  36  :  25,  are  there  sometimes  used 
as  figurative  of  cleansing.  Among  the  in- 
stances of  baptism  mentioned  in  apos- 
tolic times  are  :  3000  at  Pentecost,  Acts  2 :  41, 
men  and  women,  including  Simon  the  Sor- 
cerer at  Samaria;  the  Ethiopian  Eunuch, 
8 :  12, 13, :  S ;  Saul ;  Cornelius  and  his  Gentile 
company,  10:47;  Lydia  and  "her  house- 
hold," IG:  15:  the Philippian  jailer  "and all 
his,"  IG :  33 ;  and  "  the  houseliold  of  Stepha- 
nas," 1  Cor.  1 :1G.  At  Ephesus  twelve  who  had 
received  John's  baptism  only  were  again 
baptized  "  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus," 
Acts  10  :  2-5.  Some,  it  is  said,  were  "bap- 
tized for  the  dead,"  1  Cor.  15:29.  And 
the  Israehtes  were  "baptized  unto  Moses 
in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea,"  1  Cor.  10:2. 
Peter  compares  ba])tism  to  the  saving  of 
Noah  from  the  flood  in  the  ark,  1  Peter  3  : 
21.  Paul  urges  the  Ephesians  to  Christian 
unitv  on  the  plea  that  there  is  "one  Lord, 
one 'faith,  one  baptism."  Eph.  4:5.  See 
also  1  Cor.  12  :  13.  The  consideration  of  the 
mode,  subjects,  effects,  and  administration 
of  baptisni  belongs  to  theological  and  de- 
nominational works. 

Barabbas  (bdr-ab'bas),  son  of  Abba.  A 
noted  criminal  at  Jerusalem  who  was  in 
prison  for  sedition  and  murder  when  Christ 
was  condemned.  ]\Iatt.  27  :  16.  It  was  a 
custom  of  the  Romans  to  release  one  pris- 
oner at  the  time  of  the  Jewish  Passover. 
The  Jews  were  permitted  to  name  any  pris- 
oner whose  release  they  desired ;  and  when 
the  choice  lay  between  Barabbas  and  Christ, 
thev  chose  the  robber.  Matt.  27  :  21 ;  Mark 
15  : 6-11 ;  Luke  23  :  18 ;  John  18  :  40  ;  Acts  3  : 
14.  Pilate  was  anxious  to  save  Christ,  but 
at  last  released  Barabbas. 

Barachias,  or  Barachiali,  R.  V.  (bdr'a- 
kl'as),  ivhom  Jehovah  hath  blessed.  The  father 
of  Zacharias,  or  "Zachariah,"  R.  V.,  Matt. 
23 :  35 ;  Luke  11  :  51.    See  Zacharias. 

Barak  (bd'rak),  lightning.  The  son  of 
Abinoan,  who  was  appointed  by  Deborah 
commander  of  the  Hebrew  forces.  He  so 
completely  routed  the  Canaanitish  forces, 
that  they 'never  recovered  from  the  blow. 
As  judge  of  the  Hebrews,  he  was  probably 
the  colleague,  or  successor  of  Deborah. 
Judg.  4  : 4-24 ;  5  : 9  ;  Heb.  11 :  32. 

Barbarian.  This  term  is  used  to  denote 
any  one  who  was  not  a  Greek.  In  its  scrip- 
tural use  it  does  not  imply  any  rudeness  or 
savageness  of  nature  or  manners.  Acts  28  : 
2,  4  and  Rom.  1 :  14. 

Bar-Jesus  (bdr'je'siis),  son  of  Jesus.  A 
Jewish  magician  in  Crete,  who  opposed 
Paul  and  Barnabas,  endeavoring  to  prevent 
Sergius  Paulus  from  embracing  Christian- 
ity, and  was  struck  blind,  "not  seeing  the 
sun  for  a  season."  This  affliction,  as  the 
Greek  achlus  implies,  was  rather  an  obscu- 
ration than  a  total  extinction  of  sight.  He 
is  also  called  "Elymas"  =  a  magician,  a 
sorcerer.    Acts  13  :  G-12. 

Bar-jo'iia,  son  of  Jonah.  Matt.  16  :  17. 
See  Peter. 

Barnabas  {bdr'na-has),  son  of  exhortation. 


or  of  prophecy.  The  surname  of  Joses,  a 
Levite ;  a  native  of  the  isle  of  Cyprus,  and 
an  early  convert  to  the  Christian  faith. 
He  was' a  companion  of  the  apostle  Paul, 
and  had  a  large  share  in  the  labors 
and  sutterings  which  attended  the  early 
spread  of  Christianity.  Acts  4  :  36,  37 ;  9 : 
26,  27. 

Barsabas  {bdr'sa-bas),  son  of  Saba.  1.  The 
surname  of  Joseph,  also  surnamed  Jus- 
tus, one  of  the  first  disciples  of  Christ.  He 
was  one  of  the  candidates  for  the  vacancy 
in  the  apostleship,  occasioned  by  the  fall 
of  Judas  Iscariot.  Acts  1 :  23.  2.'  The  sur- 
name of  Judas,  a  Christian  teacher,  and 
one  of  the  "chief  men  among  the  breth- 
ren."   Acts  15  :  22,  27,  32. 

Bartholomew  {bdr-th6l'o-meu^,  son  of 
Tolmai.  One  of  the  twelve  apostles.  Matt. 
10  : 3 ;  Mark  3  :  18 ;  Luke  6  :  14  :  Acts  1 :  13. 
He  is  named  in  connection  with  Philip, 
and  seems  to  have  been  the  same  person 
whom  John  calls  Nathanael,  John  1 :  45- 
51,  and  mentions  among  the  other  apostles, 
John  21 : 2. 

Bartiniaeus  or  Bartimeus  {bdr'ti- 
ml^us),  son  of  Timeus.  A  bhnd  man  whose 
sight  was  restored  by  our  Lord,  when  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Jericho.  Mark  10  :  46-52. 
If  this  narrative  be  compared  with  Matt. 
20  :  29-34 ;  Luke  18  :  35-43,  some  differences 
appear.  For  Matthew  speaks  of  two  blind 
men.  According  to  some  writers,  our  Lord 
healed  one  of  these  (as  in  Luke)  on  entering 
Jericho,  and  another  (Bartimeus,  as  in 
Mark)  on  leaving  it ;  and  Matthew  has,  with 
characteristic  brevity  in  recording  miracle^ 
combined  both  these  in  one. 

Baruch  {ba'rook),  blessed.  1.  The  secre- 
tary of  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  and  who  was 
of  a  distinguished  Jewish  family.  Jer.  32  :  12. 
His  friendship  for  Jeremiah  was  strong  and 
constant.  At  his  dictation  Baruch  wrote 
Jeremiah's  prophecies.  These  he  read  be- 
fore the  princes,  who  rehearsed  them  to 
Jehoiakim,  the  king,  having  previously 
placed  the  writing  in  one  of  the  offlces  of 
the  temple.  The  king  ordered  the  writing 
to  be  read  in  his  presence,  and  he  became 
so  angry  that  he  destroyed  the  manu- 
scripts and  gave  orders  to  arrest  both  the 
prophet  and  his  secretary,  but  they  had 
concealed  themselves.  Jehovah,  however, 
repeated  the  prophecies  to  Jeremiah,  with 
some  additions,  and  Baruch  wrote  them  a 
second  time.  Baruch  was  falsely  accused 
of  influencing  Jeremiah  in  favor  of  the 
Chaldseans,  and  they  were  both  imprisoned 
until  the  capture  of  Jerusalem,  b.  c.  586. 
They  were  afterward  forced  to  go  down  to 
Egypt.  Jer.  43  : 6,  7.  2.  The  name  of  three 
other  persons,  otherwise  unknown.  Neh. 
3  :  20 ;  10 : 6  ;  11 : 5. 

Barzillai  {bdr-zU'la-i  or  Idi),  iron,  of  iron. 
1.  A  Gileadite,  distinguished  for  his  hospi- 
tality and  liberality  towards  David  during 
the  revolt  of  Absalom.  2  Sam.  17  :  27 ;  19 : 
31-39 ;  1  Kings  2  : 7.  2.  The  father  of  AdrieL 
1  Sam.  18  :  19 ;  2  Sara,  21 : 8.  3.  One  of  the 
priests.    Ezra  2 :  61 ;  Neh.  7  :  63. 

Bashan  (bd'shan),  light  sandy  soil.  A 
district  reaching  from  Hemion  to  Gilead  at 
the  river  Axnon,  and  from  the  Jordan  vaUey 
41 


BATH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


BEDAN 


eastward  to  Salcah.  It  is  referred  to  about 
60  times  in  the  Bible.  Bashan  has  t^vo 
ranges  of  mountains,  one  along  the  Jordan 
valley,  about  oUUU  feet  high,  another  irregu- 
lar range  on  the  east  side  of  the  district :  be- 
tween ihem  are  plains  or  undulating  table- 
land watered  by  springs.  The  rock  of 
basalt  on  the  west  is  broken  into  deep 
chasms  and  jagged  projections;  the  hills 
are  covered  with  oak  forests,  as  in  former 
times.  Isa.  2 :  13 ;  Ezek.  27  : 6  ;  Zech.  11  : 2. 
The  plain  of  the  Jaulan  (Golan  of  Scripture) 
is  a  vast  field  of  powdered  lava  and  basalt, 
a  fertile  pasture  to  this  day.  The  north- 
eastern portion  of  Bashan,  including  the 
Argob  of  Scripture,  is  a  wild  mass  of  ba- 
saltic rock.  The  centre  of  Bashan  was 
mostly  a  fertile  plain,  and  was  regarded  as 
the  richest  in  Syria.  The  early  people  of 
Bashan  were  the  giants  Rei)haim.  Gen. 
14  :5.  Og,  its  king,  was  defeated  and  slain 
by  Israel.  Num.  21  :  33 ;  32  :  33,  and  the 
country  divided.  Its  pastures,  cattle,  sheep, 
oaks,  and  forests  were  famous.  Deut.  32  :  14  ; 
Ps.  22  :  12 ;  Isa.  2  :  13 :  Jer.  50  :  19 ;  Ezek.  39  : 
18.  After  the  captivity  it  was  divided  into 
four  provinces.  The  country  is  now  nom- 
inally under  Turkish  rule,  but  is  really  held 
by  tribes  of  Arabs,  dang:erous,  warlike,  and 
unsubdued.  Bashan  is  almost  literally 
crowded  with  cities  and  villages,  now 
in  ruins,  some  supposed  to  dale  back  to 
Joshua's  conquest,  corroborating  the  ac- 
count in  Scripture.    Josh.  13  :  30. 

Bath.    1  Kings  7  :  26.    See  Measures. 

Batli-sheba  {buth-nhe'bah  or  batli'shc-hah), 
daughter  of  the  oath.  The  wife  of  Uriah  the 
Hittite,  an  oflicer  in  David's  army.  She  is 
called  Bath-shua  in  1  Chron.  3  : 5.  David 
first  committed  adultery  with  her,  then 
caused  her  husband  to  be  slain,  and  after- 
wards took  her  to  wife.  Balh-sheba  was 
the  mother  of  Solomon,  whose  succession 
to  the  throne  she  took  pains  to  secure,  1 
Kings  1 :  15-31,  and  of  three  other  sons,  1 
Chron.  3  : 5.  She  is  afterwards  mentioned 
in  the  history  of  Adonijah,  1  Kings  2  :  13,  in 
the  title  of  Psa.  51,  and  among  the  ancestors 
of  Christ.    INIatt.  1  :  6. 

Battering  Kam.  Ezek.  4  : 2.  The  en- 
gines of  Ezek.  26  : 9  were  most  likely  batter- 
ing-rams, mentioned  under  the  liame  of 
rams.  Ezek.  4:2;  21  :  22.  Those  used  by 
the  Assyrians  appear  to  have  consisted  of  a 
strong  frame-work  on  -wheels,  so  covered  as 
to  protect  the  soldiers  working  it,  and 
armed  with  one,  or  sometimes  two,  pointed 
W'eapons.  It  dilTered  considerably  from  the 
more  familiarly  known  ram  employed  by 
the  Romans.  "  Engines  of  shot"  are  men- 
tioned in  Jer.  6  : 6,  marg.,  32  :  24,  marg.;  Ezek. 
26  : 8,  marg.,  but  incorrectly. 

Battlement.  Deut.  22 : 8.  See  Dwell- 
ing. 

Bdellium  {dH'yvm).  A  substance  said 
to  be  found  in  the  land  of  Havilah.  Gen. 
2  :  12.  It  is  also  said  that  the  manna,  hke 
the  hoar-frost,  Ex.  16  :  14,  or  coriander-seed 
in  size,  was  like  bdellium  in  color.  Num. 
11  : 7.  Sofne  believe  this  bdelhum  was  a 
precious  stone ;  some  think  it  of  vegetable 
origin,  a  kind  of  gum  exuding  from  a  tree. 
And  this,  indeed",  is  the  ordinary  meaning 
12 


of  that  which  ancient  writers  commonly 
call  bdellium. 

Bear.  Prov.  17  :  12.  The  Syrian  bear 
seems  but  a  variety  of  the  brown  bear  of 
Europe  and  Asia,  though  it  is  much  hghter 
in  color.  Its  food  is  seeds,  fruits,  and  roots, 
to  which  it  occasionally  adds  a  goat  or 
sheep. 

Beard.  The  nations  of  western  Asia 
paid  great  attention  to  their  beard.  In  this 
respect  they  differed  from  the  Egv]  tians, 
who  shaved,  except  when  mourning,  Gen. 
41:14;  though  they  had  the  ci;slom  of 
wearing  false  beards,  made  of  plaited  hair, 
and  graduated  according  to  rank.  For  pri- 
vate persons  these  were  small,  about  two 
inches  long;  for  king-s,  much  longer  and 
square  at  the  bottom;  while  gods  had 
beards  of  which  the  lower  part  curled  up. 
The  Hebrews  probably  allowed  their 
beards  to  grow  when  in  Egypt ;  and  we 
find  in  their  subsequent  history  that  neglect 
of  them  was  a  proof  of  slovenliness,  and 
allowable  only  in  seasons  of  distress.  2 
Sam.  19  :  24.  They  were  carefully  trimmed 
and  i>erfumed.  Ps.  133  : 2.  They  were  not 
to  be  touched  by  others,  except  by  intimate 
friends,  with  the  right  hand,  in  a  way  of 
affectionate  reverence,  or  to  be  respectfully 
kissed,  2  Sam.  20  :  9 :  and  any  indignity 
offered  to  them  by  pulhng,  spitting,  or  the 
hke,  was  highly  resented.  Hence  there 
could  have  been  ho  greater  insult  than  that 
shown  by  Hanun  to  David's  ambassadors. 
2  Sam.  10*:  4.  Shaving  the  beard,  or  cutting 
it  off",  was  a  sign  of  the  deepest  degradation, 
Isa.  15  : 2 ;  Jer.  41 : 5,  hence  the  threatening 
in  Isa.  7  :  20  was  full  of  significance.  There 
are  some  notices  of  the  beard  in  the  He- 
brcM'  ritual.  Thus,  the  recovered  leper  was 
to  shave  off'  his  beard  on  the  last  day  of  his 
cleansing.  Lev.  14:9;  but  generally  the 
corners  of  the  beard  were  not  to  be  marred. 
Lev.  19  :  27  ;  21 : 5.  This  prohibition  is  sup- 
posed to  be  directed  against  shaving  the 
beard  where  it  joins  the  hair.  Some 
Arabian  tribes,  it  seems,  did  this  in  devoting 
themselves  to  an  idol-god.  See  Jer.  9  :  26  ; 
25  :  23 ;  49 :  32. 

Beaten  Oil.    Lev.  24  : 2.     See  Olive. 

Bed.  Among  the  ancient  Egyptians, 
the  bed  was  a  kind  of  low  sofa  or  divan, 
ornamented  with  ivory,  and  of  such  a 
length  as  to  answer  for  a  sofa  by  dav  and  a 
bed  by  night.  Ps.  41  : 3 ;  132  : 3 ;  Amos  6:4:2 
Kings  1 :4,  6,  16  ;  Prov.  7  :  16.  The  poorer 
people  slept  upon  thick,  coarse  mattresses, 
or  skins,  which  were  thrown  clown  at  night 
upon  the  divan,  or  upon  the  floor.  Some- 
times they  had  but  a  simple  cloak,  or  a 
blanket,  which  also  answered  to  wrap 
themselves  in  by  day.  Ex.  22  :  26,  27  ;  Deut. 
24  :  12,  13.  Hence  it  was  easy  for  the  per- 
sons whom  Jesus  healed  "to  take  up  their 
beds  and  walk."  Matt.  9:6;  Mark  2  ;  9 : 
John  5:8.  In  the  East,  most  people  only 
take  off"  the  outer  garment,  and  often  use 
it  for  a  covering  on  retiring  to  bed. 

Bedan  {be'dan),  servile.  1.  In  1  Sam.  12: 
11  the  name  of  this  judge  stands  between 
Jerubbaal,  or  Gideon,  and  Jephthah,  but 
probably  it  is  a  copyist's  error  for  Barak. 
See  Revised  Version,  margin.    The  diffier- 


BEELZEBUB 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


BENHADAD 


ence  in  Hebrew  is  not  great.  2.  A  ilanas- 
site.    1  Ciiron.  7  :  17. 

Beelzebub  {he-el'zc-huh),  lord  of  filth,  or 
of  flies.  A  name  of  contempt  applied  to 
Satan,  the  prince  of  the  evil  angels.  Beel- 
zebub, in  the  original  Greek,  is,  in  every  in- 
stance, "Beelzebul."  See  margin  of' Ke- 
vised  Version.  This  name  is  not  so  much 
a  contemptuous  corruption  of  Baalzebub, 
the  god  of  Ekron,  as  it  is  a  designation  of 
iduls ;  hence  Beelzebul  =  the  idol  of  idols, 
i.  e.,  the  chief  abomination,  was  used  as  an 
appellation  of  the  prince  of  devils.  Matt. 
10 :  25 ;  12 :  24,  27 ;  Mark  3  :  22 ;  Luke  11 : 
15-27. 

Beer-laliai-roi  {be'er-la-hdi'roy),  well  of 
the  living.  A  fountain  in  the  wilderness, 
southwest  of  Beersheba,  Gen.  10  : 7,  14 ;  24  : 
62;  25  :  11 ;  perhaps  Moildhhi ;  not  the  same 
as  that  in  Gen.  21 :  19. 

Beer-slieba  {bc'er-ske'bah,  or  be-er'she- 
bah)  ivell  of  the  oath.  An  old  place  in  Pales- 
tine which  formed  the  southern  limit  of 
the  country.  There  are  two  accounts  of 
the  origin  of  the  name.  According  to  the 
first,  the  well  was  dug  by  Abraham,  and 
the  name  given.  Gen.  21 :  31 ;  the  other  nar- 
rative ascribes  the  origin  of  the  name  to 
Isaac  instead  of  Abraham.  Gen.  26  :  31-33. 
Beersheba  was  given  to  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  28, 
and  then  to  Simeon,  Josh.  19  : 2 ;  1  Chron. 
4  :  28.  In  the  often-quoted  "  from  Dan  even 
to  Beei'sheba,"  Judg.  2:1,  it  represents 
the  southern  boundary  of  Canaan,  as  Dan 
the  northern.  In  the  time  of  Jerome  it 
was  still  a  considerable  place.  There  are 
at  present  on  the  spot  two  principal  wells 
and  live  smaller  ones.  One  well  is  twelve 
feet  in  diameter  and  44  feet  deep  to  the  wa- 
ter; the  other  well  is  five  feet  in  diameter, 
and  was  42  feet  to  the  water.  The  curb- 
stones around  the  mouths  of  both  wells 
are  worn  into  deep  grooves  by  the  action 
of  the  ropes  used  in  drawing  the  water  for 
many  centuries.  These  wells  are  in  con- 
stant use  to-day. 

Belieiiiotli  {be'he-moth,  or  be-he'moth),  the 
great  beast ;  or,  if  it  be  supposed  an  Egyp- 
tian word,  it  may  mean  the  water-ox.  A 
mammoth  animal,  described  in  Job  40  :  15- 
24,  where  the  explanation  is  added  in 
the  margin  of  the  R.  V.,  "that  is,  the  hip- 
popotamus." The  identification  of  behe- 
moth has  puzzled  critics,  and  the  strangest 
conjectures  have  been  propounded.  The 
mammoth,  or  other  extinct  quadruped,  has 
been  thought  behemoth  by  some;  while 
others  maintain  it  is  the  elephant ;  and 
some  would  take  the  word  as  having  a 
symbolical  meaning.  The  weight  of  evi- 
dence is  in  favor  of  the  hippopotamus.  As 
leviathan  is  most  likely  the  crocodile,  it  is 
not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  behemoth 
is,  like  the  crocodile,  an  inhabitant  of  the 
Nile  ;  and  that,  as  leviathan  is  amphibious, 
behemoth  nmst  be  amphibious  too,  and 
hence  the  hippopotamus,  a  conclusion 
which  is  strengthened  by  the  comparison 
of  verses  15,  21,  22  with  24. 

Bel.    Isa.  46  : 1.    See  Baal. 

Belial  (be'li-al),  ^vortlllessness,  hence  law- 
lessness, ruickedness.  This  word  is  properly 
apphed  by  the  sacred  writers  to  such  lewd. 


profligate,  and  vile  persons,  as  seem  to  re- 
gard neither  God  nor  man.  Deut.  13  :  13, 
A.  v.,  but  "  base  fellows,"  R.  V.  Judg.  19  : 
22 ;  1  Sam.  2  :  12.  In  the  New  Testament, 
"  Behal "  is  used  as  an  appellation  of  Satan, 
the  power  or  lord  of  evil :  "  What  concord 
Lath  Christ  with  Belial,"  the  prince  of  li- 
centiousness and  corruption  ?    2  Cor.  6  :  15. 

Belshazzar  {bel-shdz'zar),  Bel's  'prince,  or 
may  Bel  protect  the  king,  was  the  son  or 
grandson  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  the  last 
Assyrian  king  of  Babylon.  Dan.  5  : 1,  18. 
During  the  siege  of  the  city  of  Babylon  he 
gave  a  sumptuous  entertainment  to  his 
courtiers,  and  impiously  made  use  of  the 
temple  furniture  (of  which  Nebuchadnez- 
zar had  plundered  the  temple  at  Jerusalem) 
as  drinking-vessels.  In  the  midst  of  the 
festivities,  to  the  terror  of  the  king,  a  hand 
miraculously  appeared  to  be  writing  upon 
the  wall:  Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upliarsin. 
Daniel  was  called  in  to  explain  the  mys- 
tery, which,  interpreted,  proved  to  be  a 
prophecy  of  the  king's  death  and  the  king- 
dom's overthrow,  which  took  place  in  the 
course  of  the  succeeding  night,  when 
Darius  the  Median  captured  the  city.  Dan. 
5 :  25-31. 

Belteshazzar  {bcl'te-shdz'zar),  BeVs 
prince,  or  Bel  protect  his  life.  The  name 
given  to  the  prophet  Daniel  at  the  court  of 
Nebuchadnezzar.    Dan.  1 : 7.    See  Daniel. 

Benaiah  {be-ad'yah),  whom  Jehovah  has 
built.  One  of  David's  distinguished  officers, 
who  succeeded,  after  Joab's  death,  to  the 
command  of  the  Hebrew  army.  2  Sam.  8 : 
18 ;  23  :  20-23.  There  are  twelve  persons 
of  this  name  mentioiied  in  the  Bible. 

Benliadad  {ben'ha'dadorb&n'hd-dad),  son 
of  Hadad.  The  name  of  three  kings  of 
Damascus.  1.  Benhadad  I.  was  either  son  or 
grandson  of  Rezon,  and  in  his  time  Damas- 
cus was  supreme  in  Syria.  He  made  an 
aUiance  with  Asa,  and' conquered  a  great 
part  of  the  north  of  Israel.  From  1  Kings 
20 :  34  it  would  appear  that  he  continued  to 
make  war  upon  Israel  in  Omri's  time,  and 
forced  him  to  make  "streets"  in  Samaria 
for  Syrian  residents.  2.  Benhadad  II.,  son  of 
the  preceding,  and  also  king  of  Damascus. 
Long  wars  with  Israel  characterized  his 
reign.  Some  time  aftei  the  death  of  Ahab, 
Benhadad  renewed  the  war  with  Israel, 
attacked  Samaria  a  second  time,  and 
pressed  the  siege  so  clo.sely  that  there  was  a 
terrible  famine  in  the  city.  But  the  Syrians 
broke  up  in  the  night  iii  consequence  of  a 
sudden  imnic.  Soon  after  Benhadad  II.  lell 
sick,  and  sent  Hazael  to  consult  Elisha  as 
to  the  issue  of  his  malady.  On  the  day  after 
Hazael's  return  Benhadad  was  murdered, 
probably  by  some  of  his  own  servants.  2 
Kings  8 : 7-15.  He  must  have  reigned  some  30 
years.  3.  Benhadad  III.,  son  of  Hazael,  and 
his  successor  on  the  throne  of  Syria.  When 
he  succeeded  to  the  throne.  Ifehoash  re- 
covered the  cities  which  Jehoahaz  had  lost 
to  the  Syrians,  and  beat  him  in  Aphek.  2 
Kings  13 :  17,  25.  Jehoash  gained  two  more 
victories,  but  did  not  restore  the  dominion 
of  Israel  on  the  east  of  Jordan  The  ap- 
proximate dates  of  these  three  persons  are 
950,  890  and  840  B.  c. 


BENJAMIN 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


BETHESDA 


BeDJainin  (ben'ja-mln),  son  of  the  right 
hand.  1.  The  youngest  son  of  Jacob,  born 
in  Palestine,  not  far  from  Bethlehem,  after 
the  return  from  Padan-aram.  Rachel,  his 
mother,  died  in  giving  him  birth,  and 
named  him  Ben-oni,  son  of  my  sorrow,  but 
the  father  called  him  Benjamin.  Of  Ben- 
jamin's personal  character  and  history 
little  is  recorded.  His  brothers,  touched 
perhaps  with  some  sense  of  their  cruel 
wrong  to  Joseph,  seem  to  have  treated 
him  witli  tenderness;  and,  when  they 
first  went  down  to  Egypt  to  buy  corn,  he 
was  left  at  home.  Gen.  42  : 3,  4, 13.  Joseph, 
hoM-ever,  required  that  he  should  be 
brought,  and,  to  insure  the  return  of  the 
brethren,  kept  Simeon  as  a  hostage.  Verses 
14-20,  33,  34.  A  prophetic  blessing  was  pro- 
nounced by  Jacob  upon  Benjamin.  Gen. 
49  :  27.  The  blessing  of  Moses,  Deut.  33  :  12, 
was  significant  of  the  location  of  the  tribe 
between  Ephraim  and  Judah,  on  the  hills 
where  "the  joy  of  the  whole  earth,"  "  the 
city  of  the  great  King,"  was  afterwards 
established,  a  safe  and  happy  dwelhng- 
place  "  between  his  shoulders."  The  terri- 
tory allotted  to  the  Benjamites  extended 
from  the  Jordan  eastward  to  the  frontier  of 
Dan  in  the  west.  The  Benjamites  excelled 
as  archers,  2  Chron.  17  :  17  ;  while  among  the 
rest  of  Israel  archery  was  (at  least  it  has 
been  so  supposed)  at  one  time  neglected, 
2  Sam.  1 :  18 ;  and  their  skill  in  slinging  with 
either  hand  is  particularlv  noted.  1  Chron. 
12  :  2 ;  Judges  20  :  16.  The  greatest  mis- 
fortune that  ever  befel  the  tribe  occurred 
not  very  long  after  the  settlement  in  Ca- 
naan. Their  cities  were  burnt ;  and  there 
survived  of  the  whole  tribe  but  600  men, 
for  whom  the  oath  of  the  Israehtes  ren- 
dered it  difficult  to  provide  wives  when  the 
angiy  passions  of  the  nation  had  settled 
down.  Judg.  19 :  21.  Restored  to  their  in- 
heritance this  remnant  must  have  been 
wealthy  proprietors  ;  three  of  the  famihes 
are  mentioned  as  supplying  a  large  force 
of  soldiers.  1  Chron.  7:6-11.  The  first 
monarch  of  Israel  was  a  Benjamite  ;  and 
no  doubt  his  own  tribe  would  'be  specially 
favored.  1  Sam.  22  : 7.  But  the  Benjamite's 
never  showed  much  attachment  to  Saul  or 
his  family.  Indeed,  many  of  them  joined 
David  while  yet  an  outlaw.'  1  Chron.  12 : 1-7. 
We  thus  see  the  drawings  of  Benjamin 
towards  Judah,  which  issued  in  the  firm 
union  of  both  the  tribes  when  the  kingdom 
was  divided.  Thenceforward  the  history 
of  the  two  is  identical :  both  went  into 
captivity,  and  both  returned.  Neh.  11 :  31- 
36.  The  name  reappears  with  Saul  of  Tarsus, 
whose  glory  was  that  he  belonged  to  "the 
tribe  of  Benjamin."  Rom.  11 : 1 ;  Phil.  3 : 5. 
Thus  Benjamin  had  the  distinction  of  pro- 
ducing one  of  Israel's  first  judges,  Ehud, 
Judg.  3 :  15,  her  first  king,  and  the  great 
apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  2.  A  Benjamite 
chief.  1  Chron.  7 :  10.  3.  One  who  mar- 
ried a  foreign  wife.  "Ezra  10 :  32.  4.  Ben- 
jamin is  mentioned  as  taking  part  in  the 
dedication  of  the  wall  of  Jerusalem.  Neh. 
12  :  34.  It  would  seem  as  if  an  individual 
were  intended. 

Berea  (pe-re'ah).  A  city  of  Macedonia, 
44 


Acts  17  :  10-13  (Bercea  in  R.  V.),  on  the  east- 
ern side  of  the  Olympian  mountains  ;  now 
Verria,  with  a  population  of  about  6000. 

Beniice  {ber-ni'se).  The  eldest  daughter 
of  Herod  Agrippa  I.,  and  sister  to  Herod 
Agrippa  II.,  Acts  25  :  13,  23  ;  26  :  30,  married 
first  to  her  uncle  Herod,  king  of  Chalcis, 
after  whose  death  she  lived  under  suspi- 
cious circumstances  with  her  brother.  She 
then  became  the  wife  of  Polemo,  king  of 
Cilicia.  This  marriage  was  soon  dissolved  ; 
and  she  returned  to  Agrippa,  and  was  sub- 
sequentlv  the  mistress  first  of  Vespasian, 
then  of  Titus. 

Berodacli-Baladaii.  See  Merodach- 
Baladan. 

Besor  (be'sor),  cool,  cold.  The  name  of  a 
torrent  emptying  itself  into  the  Mediterra- 
nean, near  Gaza.   1  Sam.  30  :  9, 10,  21. 

Betli-abara  (blth'ub'a-rah,  or  beih'ah-bd'- 
rah),  house  of  the  ford,  a  place  beyond  Jor- 
dan. John  1 :  28.  The  R.  V.  and  some  of 
the  best  manuscripts  read  Bethany  for  Beth- 
abara ;  possibly  it  was  at  Beth-iiimrah,  or 
Nimrin  ;  or,  as  Conder  thinks,  at  'Abarah, 
a  leading  ford  of  the  Jordan  on  the  road  to 
Gilead. 

Bethany  (brth'a-ny),  house  of  dates,  or,  of 
misery.  A  village  on  the  eastern  .slope 
of  ]Mount  Olivet,  about  one  and  a  half  to 
two  miles  (-'15  furlongs")  east  of  Jerusa- 
lem, John  11 :  18.  toward  Jericho  ;  the  home 
of  Mary  and  Martha,  whither  Jesus  often 
went.  Matt.  21 :  17  :  Mark  11 :  11,  12.  It  was 
the  home  of  Simon,  Mark  14 :  3,  the  place 
where  Lazarus  was  raised  from  the  dead, 
John  11 :  18-44  ;  and  near  it  Jesus  ascended 
to  heaven,  Luke  24  :50  ;  named  in  the  Gos- 
pels eleven  times  only.    See  Betli-abara. 

Betli-aveii  (beth'a'ven),  house  of  vanity, 
or  idols.  A  place  and  desert  near  Bethel 
on  the  east.  Josh.  7:2;  18  :12 ;  1  Sam.  13  : 
5 ;  14  :  23 ;  a  name  reproachfully  used  at 
times  for  Bethel  itself,  after  the  golden 
calves  were  there  set  up,  Hos.  4  :  15 ;  10 : 5  ; 
Bethel  meaning  the  "  house  of  God." 

Bethel  {beth'el),  house  of  God.  Josh.  18 :  13. 
1.  A  town  about  twelve  miles  north  of  Je- 
rusalem.   It  was  visited  by  Abraham,  Gen. 

12  : 8 ;  13  : 3 ;  marked  by  Jacob  after  his  vis- 
ion  of   the    ladder.    Gen.    28  :  11-19 ;    31 : 

13  ;  dwelling-place  of  Jacob,  Gen.  35 : 1-8  ; 
name  apphecl  to  Luz,  Judg.  1 :  22,  23.  See 
Josh.  16  :  2  ;  Gen.  28  :  19 ;  Samuel  judged 
there,  1  Sam.  7  :  16 ;  a  place  of  calf-worship, 

1  Kings  12  :  29 ;  2  Kings  10  :  29 :  called  Beth- 
aven — i.  e.,  "  house  of  idols,"  Hos.  10  : 5  (in 
verse  8  simply  Aven) ;  taken  by  Judah,  2 
Chron.  13 :  19  ;  home  of  prophets,  2  Kings 

2  :  2,  3 ;  of  a  priest,  2  Kings  17  :  28 ;  23  :  15, 
19 ;  was  desolate,  Amos  3  :  14 ;  5 : 5, 6  ;  settled 
by  Benjamites  after  the  captivitj^  Neh.  11 : 
31 ;  named  about  seventy  times  in  the  Old 
Testament ;  not  noticed  m  the  New  Testa- 
ment :  now  called  Beitin  (nine  miles  south 
of  Shiloh),  a  village  of  about  25  Moslem 
hovels,  standing  amid  ruins  which  cover 
about  four  acres. 

Bether,  the  Mountains  of  (be'ther). 
Song  of  Sol.  2  :  17.  Probably  near  the 
LelDanon  range. 

Bethesda  (be-tMs-dah),  house  of  mercy, 
OT  flowing  water.    A  pool  in  Jerusalem  near 


BETH-HORON 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


BILDAD 


the  sheep-gate  or  market,  John  5:2-9;  tra- 
dition has  identified  it  witli  the  modern 
pool  Birket-Israil,  360  feet  long,  120  feet 
wide,  and  80  feet  deep,  half  filled  with  rub- 
bish, but  Schick  recently  discovered  two 
IX)ols  about  100  feet  northwest  of  and  be- 
neath the  church  of  St,  Anne  (noticed  in 
the  tenth  to  fourteenth  centuries),  which 
answer  better  the  Scripture  description  of 
Bethesda. 

Beth-lioron  {btth'hd'ro7i),  house  of  the 
cave.  The  name  of  two  places,  the  "Up- 
per" and  "Nether"  Beth-horon,  Josh.  16  : 
3,  5,  about  three  miles  apart,  on  the  oppo- 
site sides  of  a  ravine  or  steep  pass— the 
Thermopylae  of  Palestine— on  the  road  from 
Jerusalem  to  the  sea-coast. 

Bethlehem  {heth'le-hem),  house  of  bread. 
1.  A  town  in  the  "hill-country,"  about  six 
miles  south  of  Jerusalem,  situated  on  a  nar- 
row ridge  running  eastward,  which  breaks 
down  in  abrupt  terraced  slopes  to  the  deep 
valleys  below.  The  town  is  2527  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest 
in  Palestine.  Nearby  was  Rachel's  burial- 
place  (still  marked  by  a  white  mosque  near 
the  town),  and  called  Ephrath,  Gen.  35: 
19 ;  the  home  of  Naomi,  Boaz,  and  Ruth, 
Ruth  1 :  19  ;  birthplace  of  David,  1  Sam.  17 : 
12  ;  burial-place  of  Joab's  family,  2  Sam.  2  : 
32 ;  taken  by  the  Philistines,  and  had  a  no- 
ted well,  2  Sam.  23 :  14, 15 ;  fortified  by  Re- 
hoboam,  2  Chron.  11 : 6 ;  foretold  as  the 
birthplace  of  Christ,  Micah  5:2;  the  birth- 
place of  Jesus,  Matt.  2:1;  was  visited  by 
the  shepherds,  Luke  2  :  15-17,  and  by  the 
Magi,  Matt.  2.  It  is  noticed  over  40  times 
in  the  Bible.  It  has  existed  as  a  town  for 
over  4000  years.  It  was  a  small  place  until 
after  the  time  of  Christ ;  was  improved  and 
its  wall  rebuilt  by  Justinian ;  now  has  about 
5000  inhabitants,  nearly  all  nominally  Chris- 
tians, mostly  of  the  Greek  church.  It  is 
now  called  Beit-lahm.  It  is  surrounded  by 
nicely-kept  terraces  covered  with  vine, 
olive,  and  fig  trees.  The  church  of  the  Na- 
tivity, the  oldest  in  Christendom,  built  in 
A.  D.  330  by  the  empress  Helena,  stands 
over  the  grotto  reputed  to  be  the  place  of 
our  Lord's  birth,  and  is  the  joint  property 
of  the  Greeks,  Latins,  and  Armenians,  who 
have  separate  convents  adjoining  it.  The 
"plain  of  the  Shepherds"  is  about  a  mile 
from  the  town. 

Betli-peor  (beth'pe'or),  temple  of  Peor. 
A  place  where  the  worship  of  Baal-peor 
had  prevailed,  in  the  district  allotted  to 
Reuben.  Deut.  3:29;  4:46;  Josh.  13:20. 
It  was  in  a  ravine  over  against  Beth-peor 
that  Moses  was  buried.    Deut.  34  : 6. 

Bethphage  (bcthfa-jee ;  Eng.  heth'fdj), 
house  of  green  figs.  A  place  near  Beth- 
any, Matt.  21 : 1 ;  Mark  11 : 1 ;  Luke  19  :  29, 
and  possibly  west  of  that  place. 

Bethsaida  {beth'sd'i-dah),  house  of  fish- 
ing. A  city  of  Galilee,  near  Capernaum. 
John  12  :  21 ;  Matt.  11 :  21.  Some  writers 
urge  that  there  were  two  Bethsaidas,  since 
the  desert  place  where  the  5000  were 
fed  belonged  to  "the  city  called  Beth- 
saida," Luke  9  :  10,  while  after  the  miracle 
the  disciples  were  to  go  before  him  unto 
tbe  other  side  to  Bethsaida,  Mark  6:45, 


which  it  is  said  could  not  refer  to  the  same 
town.  If  there  were  two  towns  of  this 
name,  the  first  one  was  in  Galilee  on  the 
west  side  of  the  lake,  and  2.  Bethsaida  JuUas, 
in  Gaulanitis,  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
Jordan,  near  its  entrance  into  the  lake. 
Others  think  it  unlikely  that  two  cities  in 
such  close  neighborhood  should  have  borne 
the  same  name.  Hence  Dr.  W.  M.  Thom- 
son supposes  that  there  was  but  one  Beth- 
saida, which  was  built  on  both  sides  of  the 
Jordan,  and  places  the  site  at  Abu-Zany, 
Avhere  the  Jordan  empties  into  the  Lake 
of  Galilee.  The  Sinaitic  manuscript  omits 
"  belonging  to  a  city  called  Bethsaida"  in 
Luke  9  ;  10 ;  hence,  Wilson  agrees  that  there 
is  no  necessity  for  two  Bethsaidas.  The 
eastern  city  was  beautified  by  Philip  the 
tetrarch,  and  called  Bethsaida  Julias  (in 
honor  of  a  daughter  of  the  emperor  Au- 
gustus), perhaps  to  distinguish  it  from  the 
western  Bethsaida,  in  Gahlee. 

Beth-shean  (beth'she'an),  house  of  quiet. 
Bethsan  (beth'san),  or  Bethshan  {bcth'- 
shan).  A  city  five  miles  west  of  the  Jordan, 
first  in  Issachar,  but  later  in  Manasseh. 
Josh.  17  :  11 :  1  Chron.  7  :  29.  Saul's  body 
was  fastened  to  its  walls,  1  Sam.  31 :  10, 12 ; 
after  the  captivity  it  was  called  Scythop- 
olis,  and  was  a  chief  city  of  Decapohs ;  now 
Beisan,  having  ruins  of  temples,  colon- 
nades, hippodrome,  theatre,  and  city  walls. 

Beth-shemesh  {bcth-she'mesh,  or  bcth'she- 
mesh),  house  of  the  sun.  1.  A  city  on  the 
north  of  Judah  belonging  to  the  priests, 
Josh.  15  :  10 ;  21 :  16  ;  perhaps  Ir-shemesh 
and  Mount  Heres,  Josh.  19 :  41 ;  Judg.  1 : 
35 ;  noted  as  the  place  to  which  the  ark 
was  returned,  1  Sam.  6  : 9-20 ;  now  a  heap 
of  ruins  near  'Ain  Shems,  about  14  miles 
west  of  Jerusalem.  2.  A  fenced  citv  of 
NaphtaU.  Josh.  19  :  38.  3.  A  city  on  the 
border  of  Issachar,  Josh.  19  :  22 ;  perhaps 
the  same  as  No.  2.  4.  A  place  in  Egypt,  Jer. 
43  :  13 ;  same  as  Heliopolis,  or  On.    See  On. 

Betroth.    See  Marriage. 

Benlah  {beii'lah,  or  be-u'lah),  married. 
This  word  is  used  metaphorically  of  Judea, 
as  of  a  land  which,  though  desolated,  Jeho- 
vah would  again  dehght  in,  and  it  should 
be  filled  with  inhabitants.    Isa.  62  : 4. 

Bezaleel  (be-zul'e-el),  in  the  shadow  of 
God,  i.e.,  in  his  protection.  Bezalel  (bez'ah- 
lel),  R.  V.  1.  An  artificer  endued  by  God  with 
special  skill  for  constructing  and  adorning 
the  tabernacle.  Ex.  31 :  2  ;  35  :  30.  2.  One 
who  put  away  his  strange  wife,  after  the 
exile.    Ezra  10  :  30. 

Bezek  {be'zek),  lightning.  1.  A  city  in  the 
allotment  of  Judah,  where  Adoni-bezek 
Uved,  whom  the  Israelites,  having  defeated 
the  Canaanites  and  Perizzites,  took  pris- 
oner. Judg.  1 : 3-5.  2.  A  place  where  Saul 
reviewed  his  troops  previously  to  the  relief 
of  Jabesh-gilead,  1  Sam.  11 : 8  ;  it  was  within 
a  day's  march  of  Jabesh  (9).  ^ 

Bible.    See  Scriptures. 

Bier.    Luke  7  :  14.    See  Burial. 

Bildad  {bU'ddd),  son  of  contention,  i.  e., 
quarreller.  One  of  Job's  friends,  called  the 
Shuhite.  Job  2  :  11 :  8  : 1 ;  18  : 1 ;  25  : 1 ;  42 : 
9.  He  is  abrupt,  almost  unfeeling  in  the 
part  he  takes  in  the  discussion  with  Job ; 
45 


BIRTHRIGHT 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


BLESSING 


and  his  arguments  are  not  always  to  the 
point.    See  Job. 

Birthriglit.  Gen.  25  :  31.  The  first-born 
son  among  the  Jews  enjoyed  special  priv- 
ileges above  his  brethren,  and  these  priv- 
ileges were  hence  called  his  birthright,  or 
his  right  by  birth.  Among  these  privileges 
were:  great  dignity,  Gen.  49:3;  a  double 
portion  of  his  father's  estate,  Deut.  21 :  17  ; 
and,  in  the  royal  families,  usually  succes- 
sion to  the  kingdom,  2  Chron.  21 : 3  ;  conse- 
cration to  the  Lord,  Ex.  22:29.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  fact— that  God  bad  taken 
the  Levites  from  among  the  children  of 
Israel,  instead  of  all  the  first-born,  to  serve 
him  as  priests— the  first-born  of  the  other 
tribes  were  to  be  redeemed  at  a  valuation 
made  by  the  priest,  not  exceeding  five 
shekels,  from  serving  God  in  that  cai)acity. 
Num.  18  :  15,  16  ;  comp.  Luke  2  :  22  ff'.— 
Home's  Introduction.  The  eldest  son  seems 
to  have  been  regarded,  in  the  father's  ab- 
sence, as  in  some  respects  his  representa- 
tive. A  father  might  direct  how  his  prop- 
erty should  be  distributed  after  his  death, 
hough  it  interfered  with  ordinary  customs ; 
but  we  hear  nothing  of  the  w\\\  in  a  tech- 
nical sense  in  tlie  Bible,  until  we  come  to 
thfe  epistle  to  the  Galatians.  Daughters 
were  generally  left  portionless,  it  being  ex- 
pected that  they  would  be  provided  for  by 
the  eldest  brother  or  by  their  husbands. 
When  there  were  no  sons,  however,  they 
became  joint  heirs  of  their  father's  estate, 
providing  they  did  not  marry  outside  the 
family  line.  Even  then  they  might  claim 
their  portion  if  the  husband  took  the  fam- 
ily name  of  his  wife.  In  cases  where  there 
were  only  daughters  in  the  family,  and 
they  unmarried,  their  names  w^ere  entered 
in  the  registers  of  families  as  representa- 
tives of  the  father's  house.  See  BisselVs 
Biblical  Antiquities.  The  paternal  blessing 
was  also  in  a  peculiar  sense  the  right  of  the 
first-born,  though  the  right  itself  and  all 
the  blessings  of  it  might  be  forfeited  or 
transferred,  as  in  the  case  of  Jacob  and 
Esau,  Gen.  25 :  33 ;  Reuben  and  Joseph,  1 
Chron.  5:1.  But  by  whomsoever  enjoyed,  it 
was  regarded  as  invested  with  great  dignity 
and  superiority.  The  Jews  attached  a  sa- 
cred import  to  the  title  "  first-born."  Hence 
the  peculiar  force  and  appropriateness  of 
the  titles  "first-born,"  "first-begotten," 
given  to  the  divine  Redeemer.  Rom.  8 : 
29  ;  Col.  1  :  18 ;  Heb.  1  : 2,  4,  6. 

Bishop.  1  Tim.  3  : 2.  The  original  word 
means  "  overeeer,"  such  as  Joseph  was  in 
Potiphar's  house,  Gen.  39  : 4,  or  as  the  3600 
men  were  in  Solomon's  temple,  2  Chron.  2 : 
18,  or  as  Uzzi  was  of  the  Levites,  Neh.  11 : 
22.  In  the  New  Testament  the  term  is 
synonymous  w'ith  presbyter  or  elder,  Avith 
this  difference— that  bishop  is  borrowed 
from  the  Greek  and  signifies  the  function  ; 
presbyter  is  derived  from  an  office  in  the 
synagogue  and  signifies  the  dignitv  of  the 
same  office.  Comp.  Acts  20  :  17,  28 ;  ""Phil.  1 ; 
1  ;  1  Tim.  3  : 1  ff. ;  Tit.  1 : 5  ff".  These  pres- 
byters or  bishops  of  the  apostolic  period 
were  the  regular  teachers  and  pastors, 
preachers  and  leaders,  of  the  congregations. 
We  may  imagine,  however,    that  among 


themselves  there  would  be  a  division  made 
according  to  individual  fitness.  Each  con- 
gregation of  Christians,  as  gathered  by  the 
apostles,  vias  organized  into  a  church, 'hav- 
ing a  number  of  elders,  or  ijishops,  ordained 
over  it.  Acts  15  :  23 ;  20  :  17,  28  ;  I'hil.  1:1; 
Titus  1:5,  7,  indicating  that  the  office  was 
the  same.    See  Elder. 

]Mtliynia  (hl'thin'i-ah).  A  rich  Roman 
province  of  Asia  Minor,  on  the  Black  Sea; 
named  only  twice  in  scripture.  Acts  16  : 7  ; 
1  Pet.  1 : 1. 

Bitter  Herbs.  Ex.  12:8.  The  Jews 
were  commanded  to  eat  the  Passover  with 
a  salad  of  bitter  herbs;  and  the  Rabbins 
tell  us  that  such  plants  as  wild  lettuce,  en- 
dives, and  chicory  \vere  employed  for  that 
purpose,  as  they  still  are  by  the  Arabs  In 
those  regions.  The  use  of 'them  on  that 
occasion  was  intended  to  call  to  their  re- 
membrance the  severe  and  cruel  bondage 
from  which  God  deUvered  them  when  they 
were  brought  out  of  Egypt. 

Blains.  •  Ex.  9  :  9.  Pustules  rising  in  the 
skin.  There  was  first  an  ulcer  and  boil  in- 
riamed  :  then  the  pustules,  or  blains,  broke 
out  on  it.  This  was  one  of  the  most  fearful 
of  the  ten  plagues  infiicted  upon  the  Egyp- 
tians. We  may  conceive  its  intensity,  when 
we  find  that  "it  utterly  disabled  the  magi- 
cians who  were  afflicted  with  it  from  meet- 
ing :Moses.  Ex.  9  :  8-11.  It  has  been  thought 
to  be  the  black  leprosy,  a  virulent  kind  of 
elephantiasis,  "the  botch  of  Egypt,"  "a 
sore  botch  that  cannot  be  healed,"  Deut.  28 : 
27,  35;  that  same  disease  which  afflicted 
Job.    Job  2  :  7. 

Blaspliemy.  Irreverent  or  insulting  lan- 
guage in  regard  to  God.  Ps.  74  :  18 ;  Rom. 
2 :  24,  and  elsewhere.  But  the  original 
words  in  scripture  had  often  a  wider  sig- 
nification, and  meant  evil-speaking,  slan- 
der, reviUng  generally.  Matt.  15  :  19 ;  Luke 
22  :  05,  and  elsewhere.  The  punishment 
prescribed  by  tlie  M(jsaic  law  for  the  crime 
of  actual  blasphemy  v/as  death  by  stoning. 
This  we  find  executed  on  the  son  of  Shelo- 
mith.  Lev.  24  :  10-16 ;  and  it  was  on  this 
charge,  though  a  false  one,  that  our  Lord 
and  Stephen  were  condemned.  Matt.  26  : 
65,  06  ;  Acts  6  :  11.  If  Jesus  had  not  been 
the  Son  of  God,  his  assumption  of  equality 
with  the  Father  ivould  have  been  blasphe- 
mous. That  assumption  was  true  ;  but  the 
Jews  accused  him  of  blasphemy  because 
they  knew  not  who  he  was.  In 'regard  to 
blasphemy  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  es- 
sence of  this  fearful  sin  seems  to  have  been 
that  the  Jews,  shutting  their  eyes  to  the 
proof  of  miracles  which  Christ  gave,  dar- 
inglv  attributed  those  good  works  to  an  un- 
clea'n  spirit.  Mark  3  :  28-30.  So  a  desperate 
resistance  to  the  gracious  influence  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  shuts  up  the  soul  to  irretrievable 
ruin.  It  is  not  that  the  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  could  not  cleanse  such  a  sinner,  but 
that  the  man  defeats  the  kind  purpose  that 
would  lead  him  to  it.  He  never  applies 
to  the  fountain  of  unlimited  virtue;  and 
so  he  remains  uncleansed  forever. 

Blessing.  Gen.  12 :  2.  This  word  is 
variously  used  in  Scripture.  God  is  said  to 
bless  his  creatures.    This  is  not  merely  the 


BLOOD 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


BOOK 


expression  of  a  wish  for  their  welfare,  but 
the  actual  bestowal  of  some  good,  or  the 
means  towards  a  good.  Uen.  1  :  22 ;  32  :  29  ; 
Job 42  :  12 ;  Acts  3  :  26  ;  and  elsewhere.  Some- 
times creatures  are  said  to  bless  their  Crea- 
tor, when  they  acknowledge  his  kindnesses 
and  seek  to  show  forth  his  praise.  Ps.  lu3  : 
1,  2 ;  134  : 1,  2.  S(jmetimes  men  bless  their 
fellow-creatures,  when  they  express  their 
gratitude  for  favors  received,  pray  for  a 
blessing  upon  them,  or  predict  their  pros- 
peritv.  Gen.  14  :  18-20  :  28  : 1-4 :  47  : 7-lU ; 
Num'.  24  :  10 ;  Job  29  :  13.  And,  as  thus  to 
bless  is  the  expression  of  gratitude  or  kind- 
ness, so  a  token  of  gratitude  or  kindness, 
that  is,  a  gift,  is  sometimes  called  a  bless- 
ing.   2  Kings  5  :  15. 

Blood.  The  blood  of  an  animal  is  de- 
clared to  be  "the  life"  of  it.  Gen.  9:4; 
Lev.  17  :  11.  And  hence  God  may  be  said 
to  have  reserved  it  to  himself;  it  was  not 
to  be  eaten ;  it  was  that  by  which  sacrificial 
atonement  was  made ;  all  the  cleansings 
of  the  law  being  by  the  shedding  and 
sprinkUng  of  blood.  Heb.  9  :  18-22.  In  this 
respect  it  had  a  typical  meaning.  The 
blood-shedding  of  the  Mosaic  victims  pre- 
figured that  greater  and  more  efficacious 
blood-shedding,  when  Christ  gave  his  hfe 
for  mankind,  Matt.  20  :  28  ;  1  John  3  :  16  ;  so 
that  his  blood  "  cleanseth  from  all  sin."  1 
John  ]  :7.  Further,  when  blood  was  shed 
wantonly,  a  curse  was  incin-red.  The  blood 
of  a  bird  or  animal  was  to  be  poured  upon 
the  ground  and  covered  up.  Lev.  17  :  13 ; 
and  the  blood  of  a  man  cried  for  vengeance 
against  the  murderer.  Gen.  4:10, 11.  Hence 
tiie  command  to  Noah  that  a  murderer 
must  be  put  to  death.  Gen.  9  : 6,  a  command 
sanctioned  in  the  Mosaic  legislation.  Num. 
35:30,  31,  33,  a  command  which  it  would 
be  hard  to  prove  not  intended  to  be  bind- 
ing as  an  universal  law  upon  the  world. 
And,  if  any  one  was  slain,  and  the  slayer 
could  not  be  found,  the  nearest  city  was  to 
make  an  atonement.  Deut.  21 : 1-9.  In  the 
earlier  law  it  is  written,  "  Surely  your  blood 
of  your  hves  will  I  require  ...  At  the 
hand  of  every  man's  brother  will  I  require 
the  life  of  man.  Whoso  sheddeth  man's 
blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed." 
Gen.  9  : 5, 6.  In  the  Lord's  Supper  we  are  re- 
minded of  Christ's  giving  his  hfe  for  us. 
He  said  :  "  This  cup  is  the  New  Testament 
in  my  blood,  which  is  shed  for  you."  Luke 
22 :  20 ;  Mark  14  :  21.  Our  ascription  of  praise 
is:  "Unto  him  that  loved  us,  and  washed 
us  from  our  sins  in  his  own  blood."  See 
Sacrifice. 

Boanerges  (bo'a-ner'jes),  sons  of  thunder. 
The  name  Christ  gave  to  James  and  John, 
probably  because  of  their  fiery  zeal ;  for 
proof  of  which  see  Luke  9  :  54 ;  Mark  9 :  38 ; 
com  p.  Matt.  20  :  20. 

Boaz  {bo'az),  or  Booz  (bc/oz),  lovely.  1. 
Was  a  descendant  of  Judah,  Ruth  2  : 1,  and 
through  him  is  traced  the  regular  suc- 
cession of  Jewish  kings  and  of  C;hrist. 
Matt.  1  : 5.  Boaz  was  a  man  of  wealth  and 
of  great  respectability.  He  married  Ruth 
and  begat  Obed,  the'  father  of  Jesse,  the 
father  of  David.  2.  One  of  the  brazen  pil- 
lars erected  by  Solomon  before  the  portico 


of  the  temple.  Its  companion  was  Jachin. 
They  were  named  for  their  givere  or  mak- 
ers, or  else  had  a  symbolical  meaning.  1 
Kings  7  :  21 ;  2  Chron.  3  :  17  ;  Jer.  52  :  21. 

Book.  1  Chron.  29  :  29  ;  Rev.  10 :  2.  Books 
in  the  form  we  have  them  were  unknown 
to  the  ancients.  The  materials  employed 
by  them  to  write  upon,  and  sometimes  now 
called  books,  were  of  various  kinds.  Plates 
of  lead  or  copper  or  of  wood,  coated  with 
wax,  were  in  common  use,  the  inscriptions 
being  made  with  a  stylus.  Tablets  of  tliis 
latter  kind  were  in  use  in  England  as  late 
as  1300.  Leaves  and  the  bark  of  trees  were 
also  used,  such  as  the  Egyptian  papyrus, 
from  which  our  word  paper  is  derived. 
The  skins  of  animab  were  also  in  use,  the 
books  being  prepared  in  the  form  of  long 
rolls,  twelve  or  fourteen  inches  wide,  and 
fastened  at  each  end  to  sticks,  not  unhke 
the  rollers  to  which  maps  are  attached.  A' 
very  good  idea  may  be  fonned  of  an  an- 
cient roll  by  supposing  a  common  newspa- 
per to  have  rods  or  rollers  at  the  right  and 
left  sides.  The  reader  takes  hold  of  the 
rods,  and  unrolls  tJie  sheet  until  he  comes 
to  the  desired  column.  Thus,  in  Luke  4 : 
17,  the  phrase  "opened  the  book,"  should 
probably  read  "unrolled  tiae  scroll,"  and 
in  verse  20,  for  "closed  the  book,"  read 
"  rolled  up  the  volume,"  or  "  scroll."  This 
shows  the  force  of  the  figure,  Isa.  34 :  4, 
where  the  heavens  are  represented  as  rolled 
together  as  suddenly  as  the  opix)site  ends 
of  an  unrolled  scroll  fly  to  meet  each  other 
when  the  hand  of  the  reader  is  withdrawn 
from  it.  Thus  a  book  means  one  complete 
"  roll ; "  so  we  read  of  the  "  book  of  the 
law  ; "  the  "  book  of  life,"  Rev.  21 :  27  ;  see 
Ps.  69  :  28  ;  "  books  of  judgment,  "  Dan.  7 : 
10  ;  "book  of  Jasher"  (or  righteous).  Josh. 
10:13;  "book  of  the  Chronicles  of,"  etc., 
R.  v.,  "the  kings  of  Judah,"  1  Kings  14: 
19,  29;  "book  of  the  generation,"  or  the 
genealogical  records.  Gen.  5:1:  Matt.  1 :1. 
A  kind  of  paper  was  made  from  the  stalk 
of  an  Egyptian  vegetable  called  paj^yrus, 
or  paper  reed,  which  is  still  found  in  va- 
rious parts  of  India.  The  stalk  was  slit 
with  a  needle  into  plates  or  layers  as  broad 
and  thin  as  possible.  Some  of  them  were 
ten  or  fifteen  inches  broad.  These  strips 
were  laid  side  by  side  upon  a  flat  horizontal 
surface,  and  then  immersed  in  the  water 
of  the  Nile,  which  not  only  served  as  a 
kind  of  sizing,  but  also  caused  the  edges 
of  the  strips  to  adhere  together  as  if  glued. 
The  sheets  thus  formed  were  dried  in  the 
sun,  and  then  covered  with  a  fine  wash, 
which  made  them  smooth  and  flexible. 
They  were  finally  beaten  with  hammers, 
and  polished.  Twenty  or  more  of  these 
sheets  were  sometimes  connected  in  one 
roll.  In  ancient  times,  writings  that  were 
to  be  sealed  were  first  wrapped  round  with 
thread  or  flax,  to  which  the  wax  and  seal 
were  applied.  These  seals  must  be  broken 
before  the  book  could  be  read.  In  Assyria, 
the  ancient  writings  were  upon  tablets,  and 
cylinders  made  of  clay.  Large  libraries  of 
this  character  have  been  found  in  the 
ruins  of  Nineveh,  Babylon,  and  adjacent 
cities.    The  pen  was  either  a  stylus  made 


BOOTH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SRICK 


of  some  hard  substance,  Jer.  17  : 1.  or  a  reed 
pen  similar  to  that  now  in  use  in  the  East. 
See  Jer.  36  :  23.  The  ink  was  carried  in  a 
hollow  horn  fastened  to  the  girdle.  Ezek. 
9  :  2.    See  Bulrush. 

Booth.    Gen.  33  :  17.    See  DAvelling. 

Bottle.  Several  words  are  used  in  Scrip- 
ture which  our  translators  have  rendered 
"  bottle."  The  skins  of  kids  and  goats,  and 
sometimes  of  oxen,  are  used  for  the  pur- 
pose of  holding  hquids.  When  the  animal 
is  killed,  the  head  and  feet  are  cut  oft",  and 
the  body  drawn  out  without  any  further 
incision.  The  skin  is  tanned  with  acacia 
bark ;  the  legs  then  serve  for  handles,  and 
the  neck  as  the  mouth  of  the  "  bottle," 
being  tied  up  when  the  wine  or  water,  as 
the  case  may  be,  has  been  poured  in.  The 
hairy  side  is  outward.  These  bottles  are 
still  in  constant  use  in  Syria  and  the  adja- 
•cent  countries,  and  are  very  common  also 
in  Spain. 

Bow.    Gen.  27  : 3.    See  Arms. 

Box  Tree.  Isa.  41 :  19.  A  small  ever- 
green tree,  either  the  same  with  or  closely 
resembUng  the  shrubby  box  of  our  gardens. 

Bozrah  (bdz'rah),  fortress.  Two  cities. 
1.  Bozrah  in  Edom,  Isa.  34  : 6 ;  63  : 1,  which 
was  to  become  a  perpetual  waste,  Jer.  49  : 
13 ;  Amos  1 :  12  ;  Micah  2  :  12 ;  perhaps  Busei- 
reh,  in  the  mountains  of  Petra,  20  miles 
southeast  of  the  Dead  Sea.  2.  Bozrah  in 
Moab.  Jer.  48 :  24.  Judgment  has  surely 
fallen  upon  it.  Porter  thinks  it  is  the  same 
as  modern  Buzrah,  where  are  the  ruins  of 
a  magnificent  city  nearly  five  miles  in  cir- 
cuit, once  having  100,000  inhabitants,  but 
now  only  20  families.  It  is  near  tlie  Hau- 
ran,  60  miles  south  of  Damascus.  Portions 
of  its  massive  walls  and  towers,  theatre, 
temples,  stone  doors  and  roofs,  some  of  the 
ruins  of  the  work  of  the  early  inhabitants, 

Eerhaps  the  giants  Rephaim,  but  more 
kely  of  the  later  Roman  builders,  are 
still  to  be  seen  in  good  state  of  preserva- 
tion. 

Bracelet.   Gen.  24  :  30.    See  Garments. 

Branch.  This  word  is  often  used  figu- 
ratively in  Scripture.  A  branch  is  a  de- 
scendant from  a  tree  the  parent,  Isa.  11  : 1 ; 
or  it  signifies  one  united  to  or  dependent 
upon  another.  Thus,  Christ  is  the  vine ; 
and  his  disciples  are  the  branches.  John 
15  :  F).  Hence  Paul's  metaphor,  Rom.  11 : 
17-24,  is  easily  understood.  Beside  the 
more  general  symbolical  meaning,  the  term 
"  branch  "  is  sometimes  specifically  apphed 
to  the  Messiah,  as  in  Jer.  28  :  5  ;  33  :  15, 
where  the  promise  runs  that,  from  David's 
royal  stock,  a  branch  of  righteousness,  a 
righteous  descendant,  shall  spring.  And 
the  same  exalted  personage  is  again  pre- 
dicted, Zech.  3:8;  6  :  12,  the  branch  that 
shall  grow  and  flourish,  and  become  glo- 
rious, and  endure  for  ever. 

Brass.  The  "  brass  "  frequently  spoken 
of  in  Scripture  is  not  that  compound  metal 
to  which  M'e  give  tlie  name  of  brass  ;  for  it 
is  described  as  dug  from  the  mine.  Deut. 
8:9;  Job  28  :  2,  Very  frequently  copper  is 
meant ;  and,  no  doubt,  also  bronze,  which 
is  a  composition  of  copper  and  tin,  while 
brass  is  copper  and  zinc. 


Brazen  Sea.  2  Kings  25  :  13.   See  L>aver. 

Bread  {bred).  Gen.  14  :  18.  The  bread 
of  the  better  class  of  Jews  was  generally 
made  of  wheat;  barley  and  other  grains 
were  sometimes  used.  Judg.  7 :  13.  The 
materials  were  prepared  as  in  modern  times 
in  the  East.  The  process  of  kneading-  it 
was  performed  in  kneading-troughs.  Gen. 
18 : 6  ;  Ex.  12  :  34 ;  Jer.  7  :  18,  or  wooden 
bowls,  such  as  the  Arabians  use  at  this  day 
for  a  like  purpose.  It  has  been  supposed 
by  some  that  the  kneading  was  done  upon 
a  circular  piece  of  leather,  such  as  is  now 
used  in  Pei-sia,  and  which  would  be  more 
properly  called  a  kneading-bag,  as  it  draws 
up  like  a  knapsack.  Either  of  the  utensils 
would  be  easily  transported.  Veiy  simple 
leaven  was  used  in  the  dough.  The  loaves 
were  shaped  like  a  plate,  and,  when  leav- 
ened, were  ordinarily  of  the  thickness  of 
one's  little  finger.  The  unleavened  bread 
was  very  thin,  and  was  broken,  not  cut. 
Lam.  4:4;  Matt.  14  :  19 ;  15  :  36  ;  26  :  26.  It 
has  been  said  that  the  thickness  or  thin- 
ness of  the  loaves  was  regulated  by  the 
time  they  were  to  be  kept ;  that  which  was 
to  be  kept  longest  being  made  thick,  that 
it  might  retain  its  moisture.  This  is  con- 
trary to  modem  philosophy  on  this  subject, 
as  we  see  in  the  manufacture  of  ship  bread. 
For  the  mode  of  baking  see  Oven.  The 
term  bread  is  often  used  for  food  or  provi- 
sions in  general. 

Breastplate.  The  name  of  a  part  of 
the  official  dress  of  the  Jewish  high  priest. 
Ex.  28  :  15.  It  was  a  piece  of  embroidered 
work,  about  ten  inches  square  and  made 
double,  with  a  front  and  hning,  so  as  to  an- 
swer for  a  pouch  or  bag.  It  was  adorned 
with  twelve  precious  stones.  See  High 
Priest.  The  two  upper  corners  were  fas- 
tened to  the  ephod,  from  which  it  was  not 
to  be  loosed,  Ex.  28 :  28,  and  the  two  lower 
corners  to  the  girdle.  The  rings,  chains, 
and  other  fastenings  were  of  gold  or  rich 
lace.  It  was  called  the  memorial,  Ex.  28  : 
12,  29,  inasmuch  as  it  reminded  the  priest 
of  his  representative  character  in  relation 
to  the  twelve  tribes ;  and  it  is  also  called 
the  breastplate  of  judgment,  Ex.  28  :  15, 
perhaps  because  it  wan  worn  by  him  who 
was  instrumentally  the  fountain  of  justice 
and  judgment  to  the  Jewish  church.  Oth- 
ers tliink  it  is  because  the  Urim  and  Thum- 
mim  were  annexed  to  it. 

Brick.  In  Scripture  bricks  are  frequently 
and  early  mentioned,  as  well  as  the  mate- 
rial with'which  they  were  cemented.  Gen. 
11 :3.  Both  the  "slime"  or  bitumen,  and 
the  clay  of  which  the  bricks  ^vere  formed, 
were  abundant  in  the  Mesopotamian  plain. 
Bricks  appear  to  have  been,  in  Egypt  and 
at  Nineveh,  very  generally  sun-dried :  for 
the  Babylonian  buildings  they  were  more 
commonly  burnt  in  kilns.  Tlie  clay  was 
sometimes  mixed  with  chopped  straw  to 
increase  the  tenacity  and  compactness  of 
the  bricks ;  and  this  was  the  more  needful 
when  the  material  was  the  Nile  mud.  Ex. 
1 :  14  ;  5  : 6-19.  Egyptian  bricks,  with  dates 
upon  them,  are  still  preserved  as  fit  for  use 
as  when  they  were  first  made.  They  are 
of  a  large  size,  varying  from  1434  to  20  inches 


BRIDE 


OF  THE  BIBl 


C.ESAK 


in  length ;  6>^  to  8%  inches  in  breadth ; 
and  in  thickness  4>^  to  7  inches. 

Bride  and  Bridegrooui.  Isa.  62  :  5. 
See  Marriage. 

Brigandine.  Jer.  46  :  4,  A.  V.  It  is 
translated  "coat  of  mail"  in  K.  V.  See 
Armor. 
Buckler.  Ps.  18  : 2.  See  Armor. 
Building.  Ezra  5 : 4.  See  Dwellings. 
Bui.  1  Kings  6  :  38.  See  3Iontli. 
Bulrush.  Isa.  18:2,  A.  V.;  "papyrus" 
in  R.  V.  A  species  of  reed  found  on  the 
marshes  of  the  Nile,  and  grows  to  the  height 
of  twelve  or  fifteen  feet.  The  stalks  are 
pUable,  and  capable  of  being  interwoven 
verv  closely,  as  is  evident  from  its  being 
used  in  the  construction  of  the  "ark"  or 
boat-cradle  in  which  Moses  was  hid  by  his 
mother.  Ex.  2  : 3,  5.  It  was  from  this  veg- 
etable that  the  papyrus  was  derived,  which 
Avas  used  for  writing.  It  was  made  of  the 
inside  bark,  which  was  cut  into  strips,  and 
the  edges  cemented  together,  and  dried  in 
the  sun.  The  fact  that  the  papyrus  was 
used  for  food  when  prepared  in  one  way, 
and  for  writing  ^vhen  prepared  in  another 
wav,  explains  the  passages  in  which  the 
eating  of  books,  etc.,  is  mentioned.  Jer. 
15 :  16 ;  Ezek.  3  : 1,  3 ;  Rev.  10  : 8-10. 

Burden.  Is  often  used  figuratively,  to 
denote  afflictions,  faiUngs,  sins,  Ps.  38  : 4 ; 
55  :  22  ;  Gal.  6:2;  services  under  the  law. 
Matt.  23 : 4  ;  official  responsibihties,  Ex.  18  : 
22 ;  Deut.  1  :  12 ;  and  especially  prophetic 
messages,  not  always  of  a  threatening  char- 
acter. Isa.  19  : 1.  In  this  last  sense  the  He- 
brew word  may  be  rendered  "oracle," 
"divine  declaration,"  or  "prophecy,"  as  in 
Prov.  30  : 1 ;  31 : 1.    See  Jer.  23  :  U-AQ. 

Burial.  The  Hebrews  did  not  burn,  but 
buried  their  dead,  usually  in  caves  and 
artificial  tombs.  Gen.  25 : 9 ;  35  :  29.  To  be 
deprived  of  burial  was  thought  one  of  the 
greatest  marks  of  dishonor.  Eccl.  6:3:  Jer. 
22 :  18, 19.  It  was  denied  to  none,  seldom 
even  to  enemies.  Deut.  21 :  23 ;  1  Kings  11 : 
15.  Good  men  made  it  a  part  of  their  piety 
to  inter  the  dead.  Unburied  corpses  pol- 
luted their  land  if  the  dead  were  exposed 
to  view.  2  Sam.  21 :  14.  The  touch  of  a 
dead  body,  or  of  anything  that  had  touched 
a  dead  body,  was  esteemed  a  defilement, 
and  required  a  ceremonial  cleansing.  Num. 
19  :  11-22.  Only  three  cases  of  burning  the 
bodies  of  the  dead  occur  in  Scripture  :  the 
family  of  Achan,  after  they  were  stoned. 
Josh.  7  :  24,  25,  the  mangled  remains  of  Saul 
and  his  sons,  1  Sam.  31 :  12,  and  perhaps  the 
victims  of  some  plague,  Amos  6:10.  The 
nearest  relatives  usually  closed  the  eyes 
of  the  dying,  gave  them  the  parting  kiss, 
and  then  began  the  waihng  for  the  dead. 
Gen.  46  : 4  ;  50 : 1.  The  loud  and  shrill 
lamentations  referred  to  in  Mark  5  :  38,  John 
11 :  19,  were  by  hired  mourners,  see  also 
Jer.  9  :  17,  18 ;  Amos  5 :  16,  who  praised  the 
deceased.  Acts  9 :  39,  and  by  doleful  cries 
and  frantic  gestures,  aided  at  times  by  mel- 
ancholy tones  of  music.  Matt.  9 :  23,  strove 
to  express  the  deepest  grief,  Ezek.  24  :  17, 18. 
Immediately  after  death  the  body  was 
washed,  and  laid  out  in  a  convenient  room, 
Acts  9  :  37-39,  and  sometimes  anointed,  Matt. 


26 :  12.  It  was  wrapped  in  many  folds  of 
hnen,  with  spices,  and  the  head  bound 
about  with  a  napkin,  as  the  body  of  Jesus 
was,  Matt.  27  :  59 ;  sometimes  each  hmb  and 
finger  wrapped  separately,  John  11 :  44,  as 
the  mummies  of  Egypt  are  found  to  have 
been.  But  among  the  Jews  the  body  was 
not  embalmed,  and  the  burial  took  place 
verj-  soon,  on  account  both  of  the  heat  of 
the'chmate  and  of  the  ceremonial  unclean- 
ness  incurred.  Rarely  did  24  hours  elapse 
betw^een  death  and  burial.  Acts  5:6,  10 ; 
and  in  Jerusalem  now  burial,  as  a  general 
rule,  is  not  delayed  more  than  three  or  four 
hours.  The  body  was  wrapped  in  the  gar- 
ments worn  when  hving,  or  hnen  cloths 
thrown  over  it,  and  it  was  placed  upon  a 
bier— a  board  borne  by  men— to  be  con- 
veyed to  the  tomb.  2  Sam.  3  :  31 ;  Luke  7  : 
14.  Sometimes  a  more  costly  bier  or  bed 
was  used,  2  Chron.  16  :  14 ;  and  the  bodies 
of  kings  and  some  others  may  have  been 
laid  in  stone  sarcophagi.  Gen.  50  :  26  ; 
2  Kings  13  :  21.  The  tomb  was  usually  with  - 
out  the  city,  and  spices  and  aromatic  woods 
were  often  burned  at  the  burial.  2  Chron. 
16  •  14.  A  banquet  sometimes  followed  the 
funeral,  Jer.  16  : 7,  8  ;  and  the  bereaved 
friends  were  wont  to  go  to  the  grave  from 
time  to  time,  to  weep,  John  11 :  31 ;  a  custom 
observed  even  at  this  day. 

Burnt  Offering.  Gen.  8 :  20.  See  Sac- 
rifice. 
Bushel.  Matt.  5:15.  See  Measures. 
Butler.  Gen.  40  : 1.  See  Cup-bearer. 
Butter.  The  word  so  rendered  in  our 
version  very  frequently  means  curds,  cur- 
dled or  sour  milk,  which  has  fermented. 
Gen.  18  : 8 ;  Judg.  5  :  25  :  2  Sam.  17  :  29  ;  Isa. 
7  :  22.  In  some  places  it  is  put  for  milk  in 
general.  Deut.  32  :  14 ;  Job  20  :  17 ;  29 : 6. 
It  is  used  to  ilLustrate  the  smooth  deceit  of 
an  enemy.  Ps.  55  :  21.  In  Prov.  30 :  33  some 
would  read  cheese.  Butter,  indeed,  as  we 
understand  and  use  it,  is  not  known  in 
Svria;  it  would  soon  become  rancid  and 
unfit  for  food.  But  there  is  a  process  of 
churning  which  Dr.  Thomson  describes. 
A  bottle  is  made  bv  stripping  off  entire  the 
skin  of  a  young  buffalo.  This  is  filled  with 
milk,  kneaded,  wrung,  and  shaken,  till, 
such  as  it  is,  the  butter  comes.  This  butter 
is  then  taken  out,  boiled  or  melted,  and  put 
into  bottles  made  of  goats'  skins.  In  winter 
it  resembles  candied  honey ;  in  summer  it  is 
mere  oil.  Probably  it  is  this  substance,  and 
this  mode  of  churning,  that  is  alluded  to 
in  Prov.  30 :  33. 


Cab.    2  Kings  6  :  25.    See  Measures. 
Cabin.    Jer.  37  :  16.    A  prison  cell. 
Csesar,  R.  V.,  but  Cesar,  A.  V.  {se'zar), 

cut  or  gash.  The  official  title  of  the  Roman 
emperors.  It  comes  from  the  famous  Juhus 
Csesar.  It  occurs  about  30  times  in  the 
N.  T.,  and  is  apphed  to  Augustus,  Luke  2:1; 
Tiberius,  Luke  3:1:  Claudius,  Acts  11 :  28 ; 
and  Nero,  Acts  25  : 8.  Such  Jews  as  were 
Roman  citizens  had  the  right  of  appeal  to 
Caesar,  Acts  25:11,  who  was  their  ruler. 
49 


C^SAREA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


CALF 


For  an  account  of  these,   see  Augustus,  ' 
Tiberius,  Claudius,  and  Nero.  i 

Csesarea  {sts-a-re'ah).   The  chief  Roman  ] 
city  of  Palestine  in  New  Testament  times. 
It  was  on  the  Mediterranean,  about  47  miles 
northwest  of  Jerusalem.    It  was  first  called. : 
"  Strato's  Tower."    Herod  the  Great  built  a  ; 
city  there,  b.  c.  10,  and  named  it  in  honor 
of  Augustus  Cajsar.    Herod  Agrif^pa  I.  died 
there.  Acts  12  :  19-23.    Philip  the  evangehst 
hved  there,  Acts  8 :  40 ;  21 : 8  ;  and  Cornehus, 
10 : 1-24.    Paul  frequently  visited  it,  9  :  30  ; 
18  :  22 ;  21 : 8 ;  23  :  33 ;  was  in  bonds  there 
two  years.  24 :  27 ;  it  was  the  official  resi- 
dence of  Festus  and  of  Fehx.    It  is  now 
in  ruins,  and  is  called  Kaisarieh. 

Caesarea-Philippi  {scs-a-re'ah-fl-Up'p'i), 
now  called  Banias  by  the  Arabs,  is  a  town 
at  the  base  of  Mount  Hermon,  about  20 
miles  north  of  the  Sea  of  Gahlee  and  45 
miles  southwest  of  Damascus.  It  was  the 
northern  hmit  of  our  Lord's  journeys.  Matt. 
16  :  13  ;  Mark  8  :  27,  and  \vas  probably  Baal- 
gad  of  Old  Testament  history.  It  was  here 
that  Peter,  in  the  name  of  all  the  other 
apostles,  made  that  confession  of  faith  in 
Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  Christ 
uttered  the  prophecy  concerning  the  in- 
destructible character  of  his  church.  Matt. 
16:]6flF.  The  town  is  remarkable  for  its 
physical  and  historical  associations.  It  was 
near  two  important  sources  of  the  Jordan ; 
its  ancient  classical  name  was  Paneas,  in 
commemoration  of  the  sanctuary  of  the 
god  Pan :  it  was  enlarged  by  Philip  the 
tetrarch,  and  named  Caesarea-Philippi  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  other  Csesarea,  on  the 
Mediterranean;  later  on  it  was  called 
Neronias  by  Herod  Agrippa  11. ;  it  became 
the  seat  of  a  bishopric;  it  was  repeatedly 
taken  during  the  Crusades. 

Caiaplias  (kd'ya-fas),  depHCSSion.  A  high 
priest  of  the  Jews,  a.  d.  27-36,  and  presided 
over  the  Sauhedrin  at  the  time  of  our  Sa- 
viour's trial.  John  11 :  49,  51.  The  office 
was  foiTnerly  held  for  life,  but  at  this  time 
the  high  priest  was  appointed  at  the  pleas- 
ure of  the  Roman  government.  The  rais- 
ing of  Lazarus  angered  the  Sanhedrin,  and 
Caiaphas  turned  their  thoughts  toward  the 
execution  of  the  hated  and  feared  teacher 
Jesus  by  deliberately  advising  his  death  on 
the  plea  of  expediency.  His  language  was 
unconscious  prophecy.  John  11 :  49-52.  Cai- 
aphas was  deposed  by  the  proconsul  Vitel- 
hus,  36  A.  D. 

Cain  (kdin),  possession.  Gen.  4.  1.  The 
eldest  son  of  Adam  and  Eve;  he  tilled 
the  ground  as  a  farmer.  In  a  fit  of  jeal- 
ousy, roused  by  the  rejection  of  his  own 
sacrifice  and  the  acceptance  of  Abel's,  he 
slew  his  brother,  and  became  an  exile  from 
God's  presence,  but  received  a  promise  of 
protection  from  the  avenger  of  blood.  He 
settled  in  the  land  of  Nod,  and  built  a  city, 
which  he  named  after  his  son  Enoch.  His 
descendants  are  enumerated,  together  with 
the  inventions  for  which  they  were  re- 
markable. 2.  A  city,  called  "Kain"  in  R. 
v.,  in  the  mountains  of  Judah.  Josh.  15  : 
57. 

Calamus,  Song  of  Sol.  4  :  14 ;  Ezek.  27  :  19, 
or  Sweet  Calamus,  Ex.  30  :  23,  or  Sweet 
50 


Cane,  Isa.  43  :  24 ;  Jer.  6  :  20.  These  are 
probably  names  for'  the  same  plant.  It 
seems  to  have  been  an  aromatic  reed 
brought  "from  a  far  country."  Lemon- 
grass  is  "  a  plant  of  remarkable  fragrance 
and  a  native  of  Central  India,  w  here  it  is 
used  to  mix  ^\  ith  ointments,  on  account  of 
the  dehcacy  of  its  odor."  Calamus  may 
have  been  a  species  of  this. 

Caleb,  Gen.  10  :  11,  age.     See  Assyria. 

Caleb  {kd'leb),  capable.  1.  According  to 
1  Chron.  2  :  9,  where  he  is  called  Cbelubai 
(ke-lu'bai),  18, 19,  42,  50,  the  son  of  Hezron, 
the  son  of  Pharez,  the  son  of  Judah,  and 
the  father  of  Hur,  and  consequently  grand- 
father of  Caleb,  one  of  the  twelve  sf>ies. 
2.  The  son  of  Jephunneh,  one  of  the  twelve 
spies  sent  by  ^Moses  to  Canaan.  Num.  13 : 
6.  He  and  Oshea,  or  Joshua  the  son  of 
Nun,  were  the  only  two  who  brought  a  fa- 
vorable report  and  encouraged  the  people 
boldly  to  take  possession  of  the  land,  For- 
ty-five years  afterwards  Caleb  came  to 
Joshua  and  claimed  possession  of  the  land 
of  the  Anakim,  Kirjath-arba  or  Hebron, 
and  the  neighboring  hill  country.  Josh. 
14.  This  Avas  immediately  granted  to  him, 
and  the  following  chapter  relates  how  he 
took  possession  of  Hebron,  driving  out  the 
three  sons  of  Anak ;  and  how  he  offered 
Achsah  his  daughter  in  marriage  to  who- 
ever would  take  Kirjath-sepher,  i.  e.,  Debit, 
and  when  Othniel,  his  brother  or  nephew, 
had  performed  the  feat,  he  not  only  gave 
him  his  daughter  to  wife,  but  with  lier  the 
upper  and  nether  springs  of  water  which 
she  desired.    Josh.  15 :  16-19. 

Calf.  The  young  of  cattle,  much  used 
in  sacrifice,  often  stall-fed,  and  regarded  as 
choice  food.  Gen.  18:7;  1  Sam.  28:24; 
Amos  6:4;  Luke  15 :  23,  27,  30.  Some  of 
the  Egyptian  deities,  as  Apis  and  Mnevis, 
were  honored  under  the  symbol  of  a  calf 
There  were  two  notable  occasions  on  Mhich 
calf-like  images  were  set  up  by  the  Israel- 
ites for  worship.  The  first  was  when  Aaron, 
at  the  demand  of  the  people,  made  of  their 
golden  ear-rings  a  molten  calf  hollow  prob- 
ably, or  of  gold  plating  upon  wood.  After 
the  metal  was  cast  it  was  fashioned,  fin- 
ished or  ornamented,  with  a  graving  tool. 
Moses,  when  he  saw  it,  burnt  and  reduced 
this  image  to  powder,  cast  it  into  the  A\ater 
and  made  the  Hebrews  drink  it.  Ex.  32. 
Some  centuries  later  Jeroboam  set  up  golden 
calvesat  Danand  Bethel, which  thus  became 
and  long  continued  to  be  centres  of  unhal- 
lowed worship.  1  Kings  12  :  28-30.  Some 
suppose  it  was  intended  to  honor  Jehovah 
bv  these  visible  symbols,  or  at  least  to  mix 
his  worship  with  that  of  idols.  For  exam- 
ple, Aaron  proclaimed  "  a  feast  to  the  Lord," 
Ex.  32  :  5;  and  Jeroboam,  we  may  fairly 
believe,  never  hoped  to  keep  his  subjects 
from  resorting  to  Jerusalem,  by  at  once 
setting  up  a  god  in  downright  opposition 
to  Jehovah.  His  object  was  to  persuade 
them  that  their  worship  would  be  as  ac- 
ceptable by  means  of  his  symbols  as  by  the 
ceremonials  of  the  teinple.  The  passing 
between  the  divided  parts  of  a  calf,  Jer. 
34  :18.  19,  has  reference  to  an  ancient  mode 
of  ratifying  a  covenant.    Comp.  Gen.  15  : 


CALNEH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


CANAAN 


10, 17.  The  "  calves  of  our  lips,"  Hos.  14  : 2, 
reads  in  tiie  R.  V.,  "So  will  we  render  as 
bullocks,  the  offerings  of  our  lips,"  that  is, 
we  will  offer  praise,' as  animals  are  offered 
in  sacrilice.     Heb.  13  :  15.    See  Lamb. 

Calneh  {Ml' neh),  fortified  dwelling,  or  fort 
of  the  god  Ana,  or  Ann.  One  of  the  orig- 
inal ciUes  of  Nimrod's  empire,  Gen.  10  :  lu ; 
Amos  6  : 2,  apparently  the  same  with  Calno, 
Isa.  10  :  9,  and  Canneh,  Ezek.  27  :  23.  It  is 
possibly  the  modern  Niffer,  about  60  miles 
south-southeast  of  Babylon,  on  the  eastern 
bank  of  the  Euphrates. 

Calvary.  This  word  occurs  but  once  in 
the  New  Testament,  Luke  23:33,  A.  V.,  to 
indicate  the  place  of  our  Lord's  execution. 
It  is  the  adoption  into  EngUsh  of  the  Latin 
word  for  "skull,"  answering  to  the  Greek 
kranion,  which  is  itself  the  translation  of 
the  Hebrew  Golgotha.  The  R.  V.  reads, 
"the  place  which  is  called  the  skull." 
Some  suppose  it  to  be  so  named  from  the 
fact  that,  executions  being  performed  there, 
skulls  were  found  there.  It  is  more 
probable  that  it  was  a  bare  round  spot, 
in  shape  something  hke  a  skull;  hence, 
perhaps,  the  notion  that  it  was  a  hill. 
There  is  no  topographical  question  more 
keenly  disputed  than  whether  the  spot  now 
A'enerated  as  the  site  of  the  holy  sepulchre 
is  really  the  ancient  Golgotha  or  Calvary  : 
the  latest  explorations  do  not  support  the 
tradition,  but  point  to  a  site  outside  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem,  near  the  so-called 
Grotto  of  Jeremiah. 

Camel.  Gen.  12  :  16.  There  are  two  spe- 
cies :  the  Bactrian  and  the  Arabian  camel. 
The  latter  was  used  by  the  Israehtes,  and 
is  the  one  commonly  referred  to  in  Scrip- 
ture. It  was  used  both  for  riding  and  for 
carrying  loads,  as  at  present.  Gen.  24  :  64 ; 
2  Kings  8 : 9.  Camel's  furniture  is  men- 
tioned. Gen.  31 :  34,  perhaps  a  kind  of  htter 
or  canopied  seat ;  and  it  is  not  improbable 
that  the  panniers  or  baskets,  which  are  sus- 
pended on  both  sides  of  the  animal,  were 
employed  anciently  as  now.  The  drome- 
dary, Isa.  60 : 6,  was  the  same  species,  but 
of  a  finer  breed.  The  camel  is  ill-tempered, 
vindictive,  and  obstinate  ;  but  its  value  to 
man  may  be  estimated  by  what  has  been 
said.  The  ordinary  strong'  working  animal 
will  go  24  miles  a  day,  while  the  highej- 
bred  and  better-trained,  or  dromedary,  will, 
it  is  said,  travel  200  miles  in  24  hours.  This 
quadruped  was  forbidden  as  food  to  the 
Hebrews,  Lev.  11 : 4  ;  Deut.  14  : 7  ;  the  flesh, 
however,  especially  the  hump,  is  now 
liked  by  the  Arabs ;  the  milk  is  considered 
a  cooling,  nutritious  drink,  and  the  dung 
is  much  used  for  fuel.  The  camel  was  well 
known  in  early  ages.  Gen.  12  :  16  ;  24  :  64 ; 
37  :  25.  It  was  used  in  war,  at  least  by  pred- 
atory bands,  Judg.  6:5;  1  Sam.  '30 :  17 ; 
and  coarse  garments  were  made  of  its  hair. 
]\Iatt.  3:4;  Mark  1 : 6.  The  word  occurs  in 
various  proverbial  expressions,  as  in  Matt. 
19:24:  similar  to  which  are  some  used  in 
the  Talmud  ;  also  in  23  :  24,  where  the  early 
English  versions  and  the  R.  V.  have  very 
properly  "strain  out." 

C  a  in  p  and  Encamp.  Ex.  14  :  19. 
The  order  in  which  the  Israehtes  camped 


in  the  wilderness  was  specially  pre- 
scribed by  divine  command.  The  taber- 
nacle was  placed  in  the  centre  :  and  round 
it  were  the  tents  of  the  house  of  Levi,  in 
four  divisions ;  Moses  and  Aaron,  witii  the 
priests,  on  the  east  side,  the  Gershonites 
westward.  Num.  3,  the  Kohathites  souUi- 
ward,  and  the  Merarites  northwaid.  The 
great  host,  also  in  four  divisions,  encircled 
these.  Three  tribes  lay  to  the  east,  Judah 
the  chief,  and  Issachar  and  Zebulun.  Num. 
2  :  2-9.  On  the  south  were  three  other 
tribes— Reuben,  Simeon,  and  Gad.  The 
tribes  of  Joseph's  house  lay  to  the  west 
— Ephraim,  Manasseh,  and  Benjamin. 
And  on  the  north  side  was  the  camp  of 
Dan,  in  the  order  of  Dan,  Asher,  and  Naph- 
tah.  We  read  of  gates  to  the  camp,  Ex. 
32  :  26,  27  ;  the  dead  were  buried  outside 
these.  Num.  10  : 4,  5 ;  also  lepers,  and  vari- 
ous unclean  persons,  and  captives,  at  least 
for  a  while,  were  to  be  there.  Lev.  13 :  46 ; 
14  : 3 ;  Num.  5:1-4;  12  :  14,  15 ;  31 :  19,  24 ; 
Josh.  6  :  23.  The  skins,  etc.,  of  victims  were 
burnt  there,  and  ashes  poured  out  and  un- 
cleanness  removed  thither,  and  criminals 
executed  there.  Lev.  4  :  11,  12 ;  6  :  11 ;  8 : 
17  ;  24  :  14 ;  Num.  15  :  35,  36  ;  Deut.  23  :  10- 
12. 

Cana  of  Galilee  (kd'nah).  A  town  no- 
ted as  the  scene  of  Christ's  first  miracle, 
John  2 : 1-11,  and  of  another  miracle,  4  :  46- 
54,  and  as  the  home  of  Nathanael.  21 :  2. 
Tradition  places  it  at  Kefr-Kenna,  about 
four  English  miles  northeast  of  Nazareth, 
and  the  traveller  is  now  shown  an  earthen 
jar,  which  is  claimed  to  be  one  of  the  water- 
jars  used  at  the  wedding.  Robinson  and 
others,  with  fair  probability,  identify  Cana 
with  Kana-el-Jelil,  about  nine  miles  north 
of  Nazareth.  It  has  a  fine  situation,  and 
the  ruins  indicate  the  existence  in  former 
times  of  a  considerable  village. 

Canaan,  low  region,  merchant,  servant  f 
The  fourth  son  of  Ham.  Gen.  9 :  18 ;  1  Chron. 
1 :8.  On  occasion  of  his  irreverent  con- 
duct, a  prophetic  curse  was  denounced  by 
Noah  on  Ham's  posterity  through  Canaan. 
Gen.  9  :  25-27.  We  know  not  how  far  this 
took  effect  on  Canaan  personally :  it  had 
its  fulfillment  in  his  descendants,  only  be- 
cause it  was  deserved  and  drawn  down 
upon  them  by  their  sins.  Canaan  was  the 
father  of  the'  nations  who  peopled  Pales- 
tine, west  of  the  Jordan.  Gen.  10  : 6, 15-18 ; 
1  Chron.  1:13-16. 

Canaan,  land  of  (kd'nan  or  kd'na-an). 
Gen.  12  : 5.  The  country  inhabited  by  the 
posterity  of  Canaan  (a  son  of  Ham  and 
grandson  of  Noah),  who  were  hence  called 
Canaanites.  God  promised  this  land  to  the 
children  of  Israel,  the  posterity  of  Abraham, 
as  their  possession.  Ex.  6:4;  Lev.  25  :  38. 
The  boundaries  of  Canaan  were  Mount 
Lebanon  on  the  north,  the  wilderness  of 
Arabia  on  the  south,  and  the  Arabian  des- 
ert on  the  east.  On  the  west  their  posses- 
sions extended  at  some  points  to  the  mar- 
gin of  the  Mediterranean.  Their  boundaries 
on  this  side  were  partially  restricted  by  the 
Phihstines,  who  held  the  low  lands  and 
strong  cities  along  the  shore.  Gen.  10  :  19. 
Besides  the  possessions  of  the  Israelites,  the 
51 


CANDACE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


CAPTAIN 


land  of  Canaan  embraced  Phcenieia  on  the 
north  and  Philistia  on  the  southwest.  Zeph. 
2  : 5.  The  land  of  Canaan  was  called  the 
land  of  Israel,  1  Sam.  13  :  19,  because  it  was 
occupied  by  the  descendants  of  Jacob  or 
Israel ;  the  holy  land,  Zech.  2  :  12 ;  the  land 
of  promise,  Heb.  11 :  9,  because  it  was  prom- 
ised to  Abraham  and  his  posterity  as  their 
possession ;  the  land  of  Judah,  Jer.  39  :  10, 
because  Judah  was  the  leading  tribe ;  the 
land  of  the  Hebrews,  Gen.  40 :  15,  or  the 
descendants  of  Eber,  an  ancestor  of  Abra- 
ham. The  modern  name  of  Palestine,  or 
the  land  of  the  Philistines,  was  originally 
applied  to  the  region  Ij'ing  along  the  coast 
of  the  Mediterranean,  southwest  of  the  Laud 
of  Promise,  but  in  its  present  usage  de- 
notes the  whole  country  bounded  by  the 
Jordan  on  the  east,the  Mediterranean  on  the 
west,  Arabia  on  the  south,  and  Lebanon  on 
the  north.  Previous  to  its  conquest  by 
Joshua,  Canaan  was  peopled  by  severa'l 
tribes,  as  Hittites,  Jebusites,  Amorites,  Gir- 
gasites,  Hivites,  Perizzites,  and  four  others, 
all  early  known  as  Canaanites.  Gen.  10  :  15- 
19.  Later,  "Canaanites"  appears  to  desig- 
nate a  separate  tribe,  and  the  land  was  in- 
habited by  them  and  six  other  tribes. 
Canaan  was  the  countr>-  for  which  Terah 
started.  Gen.  11 :  31 ;  Abram  dwelt  in  it ;  it 
was  promised  to  him  for  a  possession.  Gen. 
12  : 5,  8,  etc. ;  Isaac,  Jacob,  and  the  patriarchs 
made  their  home  there.  Gen.  26-35.  It 
was  left  by  Jacob  because  of  the  famine  ; 
searched  by  the  twelve  spies,  Kum.  13  : 2 ; 
viewed  by  Moses,  Dent.  32  :  49 ;  conquered 
by  Joshua,  Josh.  11  :  23 ;  divided  by  lot 
among  the  twelve  tribes.  Josh.  13  : 7  ;  a  king 
of  the  countrj'  was  slain  by  Deborah  and 
Barak,  Judg.  4  :  24.  In  the  temple  at  Kar- 
nak,  in  Egypt,  a  triple  hst  of  118  or  119 
towns  of  Canaan  has  lately  been  discovered, 
M'hich  is  believed  to  be  a  record  of  an 
Egyptian  conquest  of  the  land  by  Thothmes 
III.  previous  to  that  by  Joshua.  It  is  the 
oldest  known  record  of  Canaanite  cities 
before  the  time  of  Joshua.  For  later  histoiy 
see  Palestine. 

Candace  {kdn'da-se  or  kan-dcVse,  Eng., 
kan'dds),  sovereign  of  slaves  f  The  name  is 
a  title  of  Ethiopian  queens.  Acts  8:27. 
Her  chamberlain  or  treasurer,  a  eunuch, 
was  met  by  Philip  the  evangehst  on  the 
road  between  Jerusalem  and  Gaza,  and 
converted.  Her  kingdom  was  Upper  Nubia. 

Candlestick.  lii  the  tabernacle  the 
golden  "  candlestick  "—or  lamp -stand- 
stood  on  the  left  hand  as  one  entered  the 
Holy  Place,  opposite  the  table  of  shew- 
bread.  It  consisted  of  a  pedestal ;  an  up- 
right shaft;  six  arms,  three  on  one  side, 
and  three  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  shaft ; 
and  seven  lamps  surmounting  the  shaft  and 
arms.  The  arms  were  adorned  with  three 
kinds  of  carved  ornaments,  called  cups, 
globes  and  blossoms.  Its  lamps  were  sup- 
phed  with  pure  olive  oil,  and  lighted  everv 
evening.  Ex.  25  :  31-40 ;  30 : 7,  8 ;  37  :  17-24  ; 
Lev.  24  : 1-3  ;  1  Sam.  3:3;  2  Chron.  13  :  11. 
In  the  first  temple  there  were  ten  candela- 
bra of  pure  gold,  half  of  them  standing 
on  the  north,  and  half  on  the  south  side, 
within  the  Holy  Place.  1  Kings  7  :  49,  50 ; 
52 


2  Chron.  4:7;  Jer.  52  :  19.  In  the  second 
temple  there  Avas  but  one,  resembUng  that 
of  the  tabernacle.  This  was  carried  to 
Rome,  on  the  destruction  of  JeiTisalem, 
and  copied  on  the  triumphal  arch  of  Titus, 
where  its  mutilated  image  is  yet  to  be  seen. 

Cankerworm.     Joel  1:4;  2 :  25 ;   Nah. 

3  :  15,  16.  The  same  original  word  is  ren- 
dered "  caterpillar  "  in  Ps.  105 :  34 ;  Jer.  51 : 
14,  27.  But  the  Revised  Version  reads 
cankerworm  in  all  these  passages.  It  may 
perhaps  designate  the  locust  when  it  is  in 
its  larva  state.    See  Locust. 

Canticles,  song.    A  name  for  Song  of  Sol. 

Capernaum  (ka-per'na-mn),  tillage  of 
Kalmm.  A  city  on  the  western  shore  of 
the  Sea  of  Gah'lee,  Matt.  4  :  13 ;  comp.  John 
6  :  24,  but  not  named  in  the  Old  Testament. 
It  was  in  the  "  land  of  Gennesaret."  Matt. 
14  :  34 ;  comp.  John  6  :  17,  21,  24.  It  was  of 
sufficient  size  to  be  called  a  "  city,"  Matt. 
9:1;  Mark  1 :  33 ;  had  its  OAvn  synagogue,  in 
A\hich  our  Lord  frequently  taught,  Mark 
1 :  21 :  Luke  4  :  33,  38  ;  John  6  :  59  ;  and  it 
had  also  a  station  where  the  taxes  or  cus- 
toms were  gathered  both  by  stationarj-^  and 
by  itinerant  officers.  Matt.  9:9:  17 :  24 ; 
Mark  2  :14 ;  Luke  5  :  27.  Capernaum  is  of 
interest  as  the  residence  of  our  Lord  and 
his  apostles,  the  scene  of  many  miracles  and 
teachings.  The  spots  which  lay  claim  to 
its  site  are :  1.  Khan  Minieh,  a  mound  of 
ruins  which  takes  its  name  from  an  old 
khan  hard  by.  This  mound  is  situated 
close  upon  the  seashore  at  the  northwestern 
extremity  of  the  plain  (noA\'  El  Ghuweir). 
2.  Three  miles  north  ot  Khan  Minieh  is 
Tell  Hum,  where  are  ruins  of  walls  and 
foundations  covering  a  space  of  half  a  mile 
long  by  a  quarter  w  ide,  on  a  point  of  the 
shore  projecting  into  the  lake  and  backed 
by  a  very  gently  rising  ground.  It  is  im- 
possible to  locate  Capernaum  with  cer- 
tainty;  further  explorations  may  find  the 
site.  It  was  joined  with  Chorazin  and 
Bethsaida,  in  the  fearful  prediction  of 
our  Lord,  the  ruin  of  the  cities  giving  a 
striking  fulfillment  of  it.  See  Matt.  11: 
21-23. 

Caphtor.    Deut.  2  :  23.    See  Crete. 

Cappadocia  {kdp'pardd'sM-a?i.  The  larg- 
est and  most  easterly  province  of  Asia 
Minor.  It  was  high  table-land,  intersected 
%  ranges  of  mountains,  sparsely  wooded, 
but  good  for  grain  or  grazing.  Cappadocia 
was  conquered  by  Cyrus,  ruled  by  Alex- 
ander the  Great,  tributary  to  the  Seleucidse, 
and  became  a  Roman  province,  a.  d.  17. 
Some  of  its  people  were  in  Jerusalem  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  Acts  2  : 9,  and  after- 
ward Christians  of  the  province  were  ad- 
dressed by  Peter.    1  Pet.  1:1. 

Captain.  In  the  Old  Testament  the 
rendering  of  a  Hebrew  word  generally  sig- 
nifying a  mihtary  officer.  There  were 
various  ranks,  from  the  captains  of  50  to  , 
the  captain  of  the  host  (or  commander-in- 
chief).  1  Sam.  17  :  18  ;  2  Sam.  19  :  13  ;  2  Kings 
1:9;  11 :  15.  Captains  of  the  guard  are  also 
mentioned.  Gen.  37  :  36  ;  2  Kings  25  : 8. 
These  were  mihtary  officers,  charged,  it 
would  seem,  with  the  defence  of  the  royal 
person,  and  with  the  execution  of  sentences 


CAPTIVITY 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


CARMEL 


pronounced  by  the  king :  comp.  1  Kings  2 : 
29-3-4,  46.  The  officer  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, called  a  captain  in  Acts  28 :  16,  was 
probably  the  commander  of  the  prcetorian 
troops  at  Rome,  but  the  R.  V.  omits  the  clause 
containing  the  word.  There  is  another 
Hebrew  word  translated  sometimes  "cap- 
tain," Josh.  10  :  24,  A.  V.  ("  chiefs"  in  the 
R.V.),  sometimes  "  ruler,"  Isa.  3 : 6, which  de- 
notes both  a  mihtary  and  a  civil  officer.  The 
captain  of  the  temple,  Luke  22  : 4 ;  Acts  4:1; 
5  :  24,  w^as  not  a  military  man,  but  the  chief 
of  the  priests  and  Levites  that  watched  in 
the  temple  at  night.  Comp.  Ps.  134  : 1.  The 
word  "captain"  apphed  to  our  Lord,  Heb. 
2  :  10,  has  not  a  mihtary  signification. 

Captivity.  A  word  used  to  designate 
the  subjugation  of  God's  people.  God  often 
punished  the  sins  of  the  Jews  by  capti\-ities 
or  servitudes.  Deut.  28.  Their  first  captiv- 
ity or  bondage  from  which  Moses  dehvered 
them  was  rather  a  permission  of  Provi- 
dence than  a  punishment  for  sin.  There 
were  six  subjugations  of  the  12  tribes  dur- 
ing the  period  of  the  Judges.  But  the  most 
remarkable  captivities,  or  rather  expatria- 
tions of  the  Hebrews,  were  those  of  Israel 
and  Judah  under  their  kings.  Israel  was 
first  carried  away  in  part  about  740  b.  c.  by 
Tiglath-pileser.  2  Kings  15  :  29.  The  tribes 
east  of  the  Jordan,  with  parts  of  Zebulun 
and  NaphtaU,  1  Chron.  5  :  26  ;  Isa.  9  : 1,  were 
the  first  sufferers.  Twenty  years  later,  Shal- 
maneser  carried  away  the  rest  of  Israel,  the 
northern  kingdom,  2  Kings  17  : 6,  and  lo- 
cated them  in  distant  cities,  many  of  them 
probably  not  far  from  the  Caspian  Sea ;  and 
their  place  was  supplied  by  colonies  from 
Babylon  and  Persia.  2  Kings  17  : 6-24.  This 
is  sometimes  known  as  the  Assyrian  cap- 
tivity. Aside  from  certain  prophecies,  Isa. 
11 :  12,  13 ;  Jer.  31 : 7-9,  16-20 ;  49  : 2 ;  Ezek. 
37  :  16 ;  Hos.  11 :  11 ;  Amos  9 :  14 ;  Ob.  18  : 
19,  etc.,  which  are  variously  interpreted  to 
mean  a  past  or  a  future  return,  a  physical 
or  a  spiritual  restoration,  there  is  no  evi- 
dence that  the  ten  tribes  as  a  body  ever 
returned  to  Palestine.  Of  Judah  are  gen- 
erally reckoned  three  deportations,  occur- 
ring during  the  Babylonian  or  great  cap- 
tivity :  1.  Under  Jehoiakim,  in  his  third 
year,  b.  c.  606,  when  Daniel  and  others  were 
carried  to  Babylon.  2  Kings  24  : 1,  2 ;  Dan. 
1:1.  2.  In  the  last  year  of  Jehoiakim, 
when  Nebuchadnezzar  carried  3023  Jews  to 
Babylon  ;  or  rather,  under  Jehoiachin,  when 
this  prince  also  was  sent  to  Babylon,  in  the 
reign  of  Nebuchadnezzar,  b.  c.  598.  2  Kings 
24  :  12 ;  2  Chron  36  : 6-8,  10 ;  Jer.  52  :  28.  3. 
Under  Zedekiah,  b.  c.  588,  when  Jerusalem 
and  the  temple  were  destroyed,  and  all  the 
better  class  of  the  people  and  their  treas- 
ures were  carried  to  Babylon.  2  Kings  2o  ;  2 
Chron.  36.  This  was  132  years  after  the 
final  captivity  of  Israel.  The  70  years  dur- 
ing which  they  were  to  remain  in  captivity, 
Jer.  25  :  11 ;  29  :  10,  are  reckoned  from  tlie 
date  of  the  first  captivity,  b.  c.  606.  Besides 
these,  several  other  invasions  and  partial 
captivities  are  alluded  to  in  2  Kings  15  :  19 ; 
17  :  3-6  ;  18  :  13 ;  25  :  11.  While  in  Baby- 
lonia, the  Jews  were  treated  more  hke 
colonists  than  slaves.   They  had  judges  and 


elders  who  governed  them,  and  decided 
matters  in  dispute.  The  books  of  Nehemiah 
and  Daniel  describe  Jews  in  high  positions 
at  court,  and  the  book  of  Esther  celebrates 
their  numbers  and  power  in  the  Persian 
empire.  There  were  priests  among  them, 
Jer.  29  : 1,  and  they  preserved  their  genea- 
logical records  and  many  of  their  religious 
rites  and  customs,  ^^'hen  the  70  years  were 
fulfilled,  Cyrus,  in  the  first  year  of  his 
reign  at  Babylon,  b.  c.  536,  made  a  proclama- 
tion permitting  the  people  of  God  to  return 
to  their  own  country  and  rebuild  the  tem- 
ple. Ezra  1 :  11.  Nearly  50,000  accepted  the 
invitation,  though  a  large  proportion  pre- 
feiTcd  to  remain.  Ezra  2:2;  Neh.  7  : 7.  This 
company  laid  the  foundation  of  the  second 
temple,  which  was  completed  in  the  sixth 
year  of  Darius.  Fifty-eight  years  after, 
Ezra  led  a  small  conipany  of  7000  from 
Babylon  to  Judeea.  He  was  succeeded  as 
governor  by  Nehemiah,  who  labored  faith- 
fully and  successfully  to  reform  the  people. 
The  Jewish  character  and  language  were 
changed  by  their  sojourn  for  so  long  a  time 
among  foreigner?,  Neh.  8  : 8 ;  and  it  is  note- 
worthy that  we  hear  httle  of  idols  or  idola- 
try among  them  after  the  captivity.  About 
40  years  after  the  crucifixion  of  Christ, 
Jerusalem  was  destroyed  by  the  Romans. 
According  to  Josephus,  1,100,000  perished 
at  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus,  and 
nearly  100,000  captives  were  scattered 
among  the  provinces  and  slain  in  gladia- 
torial shows,  doomed  to  toil  as  pubhc  slaves, 
or  sold  into  private  bondage.  Under  the 
emperor  Htidrian,  \.  d.  133,  a  similar  crush- 
ing blow  fell  on  the  Jews  who  had  again 
assembled  in  Juda-a.  They  are  scattered 
over  the  Avorld,  suffering  under  the  woe 
which  unbelief  brought  upon  their  fathers 
and  themselves.    See  Je^vs. 

Carbuncle.  One  of  the  gems  in  the 
high  priest's  breast-plate,  Ex.  28 :  17 ;  39  :  10 ; 
it  is  also  mentioned  in  Ezek.  28 :  13.  It 
must,  from  the  derivation  of  the  Hebrew 
word,  have  been  a  bright  flashing  gem. 
Some  have  supposed  it  the  emerald.  Car- 
buncle occure  again  as  the  rendering  of 
another  term  in  Isa.  54 :  12.  The  original 
words  here  may  mean  "  sparkling  stones ; " 
perhaps  the  Oriental  garnet  is  intended. 

Carclieiiiisli,  or  Cliarcliemisli  {kdr- 
ke'vilsh),  citadel  of  Chemosh.  A  chief  city  of 
northern  Syria,  on  the  Euphrates,  where  a 
great  and  decisive  battle  was  fought,  in 
which  Nebuchadnezzar  defeated  Pharaoh- 
necho,  2  Chron.  35 :  20 ;  2  Kings  23  :  29 ;  Jer. 
46  : 2,  in  b.  c.  605. 

Carinel  {kar'meJ),  fruitful  place  or  park. 
1.  A  long  mountain  which  forms  a  striking 
feature  of  Palestine.  It  is  a  noble  ridge, 
the  only  headland  of  lower  and  central 
Palestine,  jutting  out  with  a  bold  blufl 
or  promontory,  nearly  600  feet  high,  al- 
most into  the  Mediterranean.  It  extends 
southeast  for  a  httle  more  than  twelve 
miles,  where  it  terminates  suddenly  in  a 
bluff  somewhat  corresponding  to  its  west- 
ern end.  That  which  has  made  Carmel 
most  familiar  to  us  is  its  intimate  connec- 
tion with  the  history  of  the  two  great  proph- 
ets of  Israel— Ehjah.  and  Ehsha.  2  Kings 
53 


CARRIAGES 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


CEPHAS 


2 :  25 ;  4  :  25 ;  1  Kings  18 :  20-42.  It  is  now 
commonly  caiied  Mar  Elyas;  Kurmel  be- 
ing occasionally,  but  only  seldom,  heard. 
2.  A  town  in  the  mountainous  country  of 
Judah,  Josh.  15 :  55,  famiUar  to  us  as  the 
residence  of  Nabal.    1  Sam.  25 : 2-5,  7,  40. 

Carriages.  Acts  21 :  15,  A.  V.,  but  the 
R,  V.  reads  "baggage  "  here  and  in  Isa.  10  : 
28 ;  1  Sam.  17  :  22.  The  load  or  burden  of 
man  or  beast ;  baggage,  Isa.  10 :  28 ;  or  mat 
on  which  anything  is  earned,  1  Sam.  17 : 
22.  In  Isa.  46  : 1,  "  carriages,"  A.  V.,  is  ren- 
dered "things  that  ye  carried  about"  in  R. 
V.  "They  took  up' their  carriages,"  i.  e., 
they  packed  up  their  things  and  com- 
menced their  journey.  Acts  21  :  15.  See 
R.  V. 

Cassia.  Ex.  30  :  24.  The  bark  of  a  tree 
like  the  cinnamon,  and  one  of  the  ingre- 
dients of  the  holy  anointing  oil.  It  was 
brought  from  India  by  the  Tyrians.  The 
Hebrew  refers,  in  Ps.  45  : 8,  to  another  kind 
of  spice,  remarkable  for  its  fragrance,  but 
BOt  yet  identified. 

Castor  {kan'tor),  and  Pollux  (pol'lux). 
Acts  28  :  11,  A.  V. ;  R.  V.  reads  "  The  Twin 
Brothers."  In  heathen  mythology,  "Cas- 
tor" and  "  Pollux  "  were  the  names  of  twin 
sons  of  Jupiter,  who  presided  over  the  des- 
tinies of  sailors.  Hence  an-  image  repre- 
senting them  was  often  seen  on  the  prow 
of  ancient  ships,  hke  the  figure-heads  of 
modern  days.  In  the  case  of  Paul's  ship, 
the  name  was  Castor  and  Pollux. 

Caterpillar  (the  consumer).  Probably 
another  word  for  locusts  in  their  immature 
or  wingless  state,  appearing  in  vast  num- 
bers and  of  most  destructive  voracity.  1 
Kings  8 :  37. 

Caul.  Lev.  3:4,  10;  5:4,9.  A  lobe  of 
the  liver.  In  Hos.  13 : 8,  the  membrane  in- 
closing the  heart.  In  Isa.  3 :  18,  network 
for  the  hair. 

Cedar.  Several  cone-bearing,  evergreen 
trees  appear  to  be  included  under  this  title. 
But  ordinarily,  the  cedar  of  Lebanon  (the 
still  famous  tree  of  that  name,  C'edrus  Li- 
bani)  is  meant.  The  Scriptures  give  its 
characteristics.  Comp.  Ps.  92  :  12  ;  Ezek.  31 : 
3-6 ;  1  Kings  7  : 2 ;  10  :  27  :  Song  of  Sol.  4 :  11 ; 
Hos.  14:6;  Isa.  2:13;  10:19.  It  grows  to 
the  height  of  70  or  80  feet.  The  branches 
are  thick  and  long,  spreading  out  almost 
horizontally  from  the  trunk,  which  is  some- 
times 30  or  40  feet  in  circumference.  Ezek. 
31 : 3,  6,  8.  Maundrell  measured  one  which 
was  36  feet  and  6  inches  in  the  girth,  and 
111  feet  in  the  spread  of  its  boughs.  The 
wood  is  of  a  red  color  and  bitter  taste, 
which  is  offensive  to  insects,  and  hence  it 
is  very  durable  and  admirably  adapted  for 
building.  Cedar  was  used  for  the  most  no- 
ble and  costly  edifices,  as  the  palace  of 
Persepohs,  the  palace  of  Solomon,  and  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem.  This  timber  served 
not  only  for  beams  for  the  frame  and  boards 
for  covering  buildings,  but  was  also  wrought 
into  the  walls.  2  Sam.  7  :  2 ;  1  Kings  6  :  36, 
and  7  :  12.  The  gum  which  exudes  from 
the  trunk  and  the  cones  is  as  soft  and  fra- 
grant as  the  balsam  of  Mecca.  This  tree, 
there  is  reason  to  believe,  once  quite  cov- 
ered the  mountains  of  Lebanon  between 
54 


the  heights  of  3000  and  7000  feet.  Rev.  H. 
H.  Jessup  has  visited  and  described  eleven 
distinct  groves  of  cedars  on  those  moun- 
tains, including,  altogether,  several  thou- 
sand trees.  The  wood  of  the  cedar  is  no- 
table for  toughness,  durability,  and  adapt- 
edness  to  the  climate  and  circumstances 
of  Syria.  There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  rot- 
ten cedar.  The  name  of  Lamartine,  carved 
on  one  of  the  giant  trees  109  years  ago,  is 
fresh  and  legible  to-day.  All  other  woods 
indigenous  to  Syria  are"  liable  to  the  attacks 
of  insects  or  a  kind  of  drj'  rot.  Cedar  beams 
are  unchangeable.  The'cedar  is  a  desirable 
wood  for  carving.  Isa.  44  :  14.  It  is  hard, 
fragrant,  takes  a  high  pohsh,  which  devel- 
ops a  beautiful  grain,  and  it  grows  darker 
and  richer  by  time. 

Cedron.    John  18  : 1.    See  Kidron. 

Ceiiclirea  (stn'kre-uh,  accurately  Cen- 
clireae,  as  it  is  spelt  in  the  R.  V.).  The 
eastern  harbor  of  Corinth,  on  the  Saronic 
Gulf,  and  the  emporium  of  its  trade  with 
the  Asiatic  shores  of  the  Mediterranean, 
about  nine  miles  east  of  that  city ;  the  west- 
ern harbor  was  Lechai'um.  A  church  was 
formed  at  Cenchrea,  of  which  Phebe  was  a 
deaconess.  Rom.  16  : 1.  Paul  sailed  from 
thence  to  Ephesus.  Acts  38  :  18.  The  town 
was  full  of  idolatrous  monuments  and 
shrines.    It  is  now  called  Kikries. 

Censer.  There  are  two  Hebrew  words 
so  translated,  mahhtah  and  miktereth  ;  the 
latter  occurring  only  in  the  later  books.  2 
Chron.  26  :  19 ;  Ezek.  8  :  11.  It  was  a  vessel 
or  metal  fire-paa  to  take  up  coals  on  which 
the  incense  could  be  placed.  It  was  port- 
able, and  probably  had  a  long  handle. 
Censers  are  described  among  the  furniture 
of  the  altar— the  brazen  altar,  not  the  altar 
of  incense.  Num.  4  :  14 ;  and  a  special  charge 
is  given  for  the  use  of  the  censer  on  the 
day  of  atonement.  Lev.  16  :  12.  Probably 
those  of  the  ordinary  kind  were  of  brass  or 
copper,  comp.  Ex.  27  : 3 ;  but  the  Jews  sup- 
pose that  the  one  used  by  the  high  priest 
was  of  gold ;  and  this  supposition  is  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  corroborated  by  the  fact  that 
Aaron  is  bidden  to  use  some  particular  cen- 
ser—the definite  article  being  prefixed  to 
the  word.  Lev.  16  :  12  ;  Num.  16  :  46.  Korah 
and  his  company  had  censers.  Num.  16  :6, 
17,  37,  38,  39 ;  but  they  were  doubtless  of 
the  common  sort.  Solomon  made  golden 
censers.  1  Kings  7  :  50 ;  2  Chron.  4  :  22.  A 
golden  censer  is  mentioned  in  the  New 
Testament.  Heb.  9:4.  It  is  questioned, 
however,  whether  the  golden  altar  is  not 
rather  meant.  The  R.  V.  frequently  reads 
"fire-pans"  for  censers.  The  Greek  word 
rendered  "  censer"  in  Rev.  8  : 3,  5,  is  derived 
from  frankincense,  implying  that  frankin- 
cense was  burnt  therein.  The  "  vials,"  5  : 8, 
have  been  thought  to  mean  similar  vessels. 

Centvirion.  The  commander  of  a  cen- 
tury or  military  company,  of  which  there 
were  60  in  a  Roman  legion.  At  first  there 
were,  as  the  name  implies,  100  men  in  each 
century ;  subsequently  the  number  varied 
according  to  the  strength  of  the  legion. 
Matt.  8  : 5  ;  27  :  54 ;  Acts  10 : 1 ;  22  :  25 ;  23  :  23 ; 
27 : 1. 

Cephas  {se'/as),  rock.    A  Syriac  surname 


CHALCEDONY 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


CHAPITER 


given  to  Simon,  which  in  the  Greek  is  ren- 
dered Petros,  and  in  the  Latin  Petrus,  both 
signifying  "a  rock."  John  1:42.  See 
Peter. 

Chalcedony.  One  of  the  stones  de- 
scribed as  forming  the  foundation  of  the 
new  Jerusalem.  Rev.  21 :  19.  Chalcedony 
is  ordinarily  understood  to  be  a  species  of 
agate,  milky  white  or  pale  yellow,  often 
with  a  wavy  internal  structure.  Some 
liken  it  in  color  and  want  of  transparency 
to  skimmed  milk.  Another  description  rep- 
resents it  as  of  the  color  of  a  pale  tlame, 
shining  out  of  doors,  obscure  in  a  house, 
not  easily  cut,  and  attributes  to  it  the  power 
of  attracting  hght  substances.  Also  it  has 
been  supposed  to  be  turquoise,  carbuncle, 
or  ruby,  or  an  inferior  kind  of  emerald. 

Chaldsea  (kal-de'ah).  An  ancient  country 
on  both  sides  of  the  river  Euphrates,  and 
bordering  on  the  Persian  Gulf.  It  had  an 
estimated  area  of  23,0U0  square  miles.  In 
later  times  it  included  a  territory  about  450 
miles  long  by  100  to  130  miles  wide.  It  oc- 
cupied the  southern  portion  of  the  great 
Mesopotamiau  plain,  the  most  fertile  part  of 
that  country.  It  was  divided  into' Northern 
and  Southern  Chaldfea,  each  having  four 
important  cities.  In  later  times  the  "  land 
of  the  ChaldEeans  "  was  applied  to  all  Baby- 
lonia, and  to  the  whole  of  the  empire  over 
which  the  Chaldseans  ruled.  The  chief 
features  of  the  country  were  the  rivers,  for 
on  all  sides  it  is  a  dead  level,  broken  now 
only  by  solitary  mounds,  old  ruins,  marshes, 
and  streams.  The  summers  are  hot,  the 
winters  rainy,  and  seldom  colder  than  30° 
F.  Wheat,  millet,  barley,  dates  and  fruits 
of  all  kinds  were  abundant.  Its  fertility 
and  productions  were  proverbial  in  ancient 
tijnes.  Chaldsea  is  noticed  in  Scripture  as 
the  native  country  of  Abram,  Gen.  11 :  31 ; 
its  people  attacked  Job,  Job  1 :  17,  and  it 
was  the  term  by  which  the  empire  of 
Nebuchadnezzar  was  sometimes  called. 
Originally  it  was  the  district  in  the  south  of 
the  "  land  of  Shinar"  where  Nimrod  built 
four  cities.  Gen.  10 :  10.  Among  the  four 
great  kingdoms  or  empires  on  the  Euphra- 
tes, secular  historians  usually  place  the 
Chaldsean  as  the  tir.st  in  order  or  earhest, 
lasting  for  about  ten  centuries,  from  b.  c. 
2300  to  about  B.  c.  1300 ;  the  Assyrian  empire 
next,  lasting  about  six  and  a  half  centuries, 
from  B.  c.  1270  to  B.  c.  625 ;  the  Babylonian 
empire  third  in  order,  continuing  from 
about  B.  c.  625  to  B.  c.  538 ;  and  the  Medo- 
Persian  fourth.  After  its  subjugation,  in 
B.  c.  1300,  Chaldsea  held  an  insignificant 
place  in  history  for  over  six  centuries, 
but  recovered  in  b.  c.  625,  and  estabUshed 
a  new  kingdom,  known  as  the  Babylonian 
empire.  For  further  notices  see  Babylon, 
Assyria,  and  Nineveli. 

Chalkstones.  Isa.  27  : 9.  A  soft  mineral 
substance  resembling  what  we  call  lime- 
stone. To  make  the  stones  of  the  Jewish 
altars  like  chalkstones  is  to  crumble  and 
destroy  them. 

Chamber.  Gen.  43  :  30.  Usually,  the 
private  apartments  of  a  house  are  called 
chambers.  2  Sam.  18  :  33 ;  Ps.  19  : 5 ;  Dan. 
6 :  10.    Particular   rooms   of  this   class  in 


Eastern  houses  were  designated  by  signifi- 
cant terms. 

Guest-chamber.  Mark  14  :  14.  This  we 
may  suppose  to  have  been  a  spacious  un- 
occupied room,  usually  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  house,  and  furnished  suitably  for  the 
reception  and  entertainment  of  guests  and 
for  social  meetings.  The  proverbial  hospi- 
taUty  of  the  Jews  would  make  such  pro- 
vision necessary,  and  especially  at  Jerusa- 
lem, in  festival  seasons,  when  every  house 
in  the  city  was  the  stranger's  home.  Mark 
14  :  15 ;  Luke  22  :  12 ;  Acts  1 :  13. 

Inner  Chamber.  2  Kings  9:2.  A  cham- 
ber within  another  chamber. 

Little  Chamber.  2  Kings  4 :  10.  An 
apartment  built  upon  and  projecting  from 
the  walls  of  the  main  house,  and  communi- 
cating by  a  private  door  with  the  house,  and 
by  a  private  stairway  with  the  street. 

Upper  Chamber,  or  Loft,  Acts  9  :  37,  oc- 
cupied the  front  part  of  the  building,  over 
the  gate  or  outer  entrance,  and  was  used  to 
lodge  strangers.  Comp.  1  Kings  17  :  19  and 
23  with  2  Kings  4 :  10. 

Chamberlain.  2  Kings  23 :  11.  An  of- 
ficer who  had  charge  of  the  royal  chambers, 
or  the  king's  lodgings,  wardrobes,  etc.  Esth. 
1 :  10,  12,  15  A.  V.  The  R.  V.  reads  "  cham- 
berlains," but  has  "or  eunuchs"  in  the 
margin.  The  word  occurs  twice  in  A.  V.  of 
N.  T.,  but  entirely  different  offices  are 
meant  in  the  Greek.  Blastus,  "  the  king's 
chamberlain,"  mentioned  in  Acts  12:20, 
"  held  a  post  of  honor  which  involved  great 
intimacy  and  influence  with  the  king." 
Erastus,  "the  chamberlain  of  the  city  of 
Corinth,"  Rom.  16  :  23,  was  the  treasurer  of 
the  city;  the  R.  V.  reads  "  treasurer." 

Chameleon.  Lev.  11:30.  A  kind  of 
lizard,  of  singular  habits  and  appearance. 
Its  body  is  about  six  inches  long;  its 
feet  have  five  toes  each,  arranged  Uke 
two  thumbs  opposite  to  three  fingers ;  its 
eyes  turn  backwards  or  forwards  inde- 
pendently of  each  other.  It  feeds  upon 
flies,  which  it  catches  by  darting  out  its 
long,  viscous  tongue.  It  has  the  faculty  of 
inflating  itself  at  pleasure  with  air,  and 
thus  changing  its  color  from  its  ordinary 
gray  to  green,  purple,  and  even  black  when 
enraged.  The  eyes  project  out  of  the  head, 
and  can  be  moved  in  any  direction,  and 
each  eye  can  be  moved  independently  of 
the  other,  so  that  the  animal  can  see  ahead 
with  one  eye,  and  at  the  same  instant  see 
behind  with  the  other  eye. 

Chamois  {sham'my).  Deut.  14 : 5.  A 
species  of  wild  sheep. 

Chapiter.  There  are  three  Hebrew 
words  translated  "  chapiter,"  the  first  signi- 
fying something  which  surrounds;  the 
second  an  ornament ;  the  third  is  the  ordi- 
nary word  for  head  or  top.  It  is  the  upper 
part  of  a  pillar,  answering  to  what  is  now 
called  the  capital,  or  a  kind  of  moulding 
round  the  top  of  a  column  or  utensil,  prob- 
ably carved  into  the  representation  of 
flowers  or  fruits.  Ex.  36  :  38  ;  38  :  17, 19,  28 ; 
1  Kings  7  :  16-20  ;  2  Kings  25  :  17  ;  2  Chron. 
3:15;  4:12,  13.  The  "pommels"  of  the 
chapiters  were  convex  projections  or  mould- 
ings. 

55 


CHAPMAN 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


CHIMHAM 


Chapman.  2  Chron.  9 :  14.  A  travelliBg 
merchant. 

Charger.  A  shallow  vessel  for  receiving 
water  or  blood,  also  for  presenting  oflferings 
of  fine  flour  with  oil.  Num.  7 :  79.  The 
daughter  of  Herodias  brought  the  head  of 
John  the  Baptist  in  a  charger,  Matt.  14  :  11 ; 
probably  a  trencher  or  platter. 

Chariots.  Scripture  speaks  of  two  kinds 
of  chariots,  two-wheeled,  and  both  drawn 
by  horses :  one  for  princes  and  generals  to 
ride  in,  Gen.  41 :  43  ;  46  :  29 ;  2  Kings  5:9; 
Acts  8 :  28 ;  or  dedicated  to  idols,  2  Kings 
23 :  11 ;  the  other  "  chariots  of  iron,"  armed 
with  iron  scythes  or  hooks,  projecting  from 
the  ends  of  the  axletrees.  The  Canaanites 
whom  Joshua  engaged  at  the  waters  of 
Merom  had  horsemen,  and  a  multitude  of 
chariots.  Josh.  11 : 4 ;  Judg.  1 :  19.  Sisera, 
general  of  Jabin,  king  of  Hazor,  had  900 
chariots  of  iron,  Judg.  4:3;  and  Solomon 
raised  1400, 1  Kings  10  :  26,  in  spite  of  the 
prohibition  in  Deut.  17  :  16  ;  1  Sam.  8 ;  11, 12. 
The  later  kings  also  used  this  form  of  mih- 
tary  defense.  Isa.  31 : 1.  Ehjah  went  up  to 
heaven  in  a  chariot  of  fire.  2  Kings  2  :  12. 
R.  V.  reads  "chariots."  In  Song  of  Sol. 
3 : 9,  chariot  seems  to  mean  a  portable  sedan 
or  palanquin,  as  it  is  translated  in  the  R.  V. 

Chehar  (ke'bar).  A  river  in  Chaldfea, 
Ezek.  1:1,  3;  3  :  15,  etc.;  cannot  be  the 
same  as  Ilabor,  but  may  be  one  of  the 
canals  which  connected  the  Tigris  with 
the  Euphrates,  near  Babylon. 

Cheese.  The  cheese  of  the  East  is  made 
of  cows'  milk,  though  that  of  sheep  and  of 
goats  and  of  camels  is  sometimes  used. 
Instead  of  rennet,  the  milk  is  coagulated 
either  with  buttermilk  or  a  decoction  of 
the  flowers  of  the  wild  artichoke ;  and  put- 
ting the  curds  into  small  baskets  made  with 
rushes,  or  with  the  dwarf-palm,  they  bind 
them  up  close  and  press  them.  These 
cheeses  are  rarely  above  two  or  three 
pounds  weight ;  and  are  about  the  size  of  a 
tea  saucer.  Oriental  cheese  when  new  is 
comparatively  soft,  but  it  soon  turns  hard 
and  drv;  and  is  excessively  salt.    1  Sam. 

17  :  18  ;  2  Sam.  17  :  29. 

Chemarim  {kem'a-rim),  those  who  go  about 
in  black.  Occurs  once  only  in  the  English 
version,  Zeph.  1 : 4,  but  frequently  in  the 
Hebrew,  and  is  translated  "idolatrous 
priests,"  as  in  2  Kings  23  : 5 ;  Hos.  10  : 5 
(priests). 

Chemosh  (ke'rudsh),  subduer.  The  na- 
tional deity  of  the  Moabites.  Num.  21 :  29  ; 
Jer.  48 : 7, 13,  46.  In  Judg.  11 :  24  he  also  ap- 
pears as  the  god  of  the  Ammonites.  Solo- 
mon introduced,  and  Josiah  abolished,  the 
worship  of  Chemosh  at  Jerusalem.  1  Kings 
11 : 7 ;  2  Kings  23 :  13.  Also  related  to  Baal- 
peor,  Baal-zebub,  Mars,  and  Saturn. 

Chephirah  (ke-fl'rah),  village.  One  of 
the  Gibeonite  towns.  Josh.  9  :  17,  which  was 
afterwards   assigned   to  Benjamin.     Josh. 

18  :  26  ;   see    Ezra   2  :  25 ;  Neh.  7  :  29.     It  is 
identical  with  the  modern  Kefir. 

Cherethites  {kSr'e-thltes),  executioners, 
and  Pelethites  (pH'e-thltes  or  pe'leth-ites), 
couriers.  The  life-guards  of  King  David. 
2  Sam.  8  :  18  ;  15  :  18  ;  20  : 7,  23  ;  1  Kings  1 : 
38,  44  ;  1  Chron.  18 :  17 ;  2  Kings  11 :  4,  R.  V. 
56 


"Carites."  But  it  has  been  conjectured 
that  they  may  have  been  foreign  merce- 
naries, and  therefore  probably  Philistines. 

Cherith  {ke'rith),  gorge,  The  Brook,  a 
brook  or  torrent  "before  Jordan"  where 
the  prophet  Elijah  was  hid.  1  Kings  17  : 5. 
Robinson  and  several  others  identify  it 
with  Wady  Kelt,  a  swift,  brawling  stream, 
20  yards  wide  and  three  feet  deep,  running 
into  the  Jordan  from  the  west,  a  Uttle  south 
of  Jericho.  Some  identify  it  with  Wady 
Fusail,  a  little  farther  north,  and  yet  others 
think  it  was  some  stream  on  the  other,  or 
eastern,  side  of  the  Jordan, 

Cherub  (plural  Cherubim).  An  order 
of  celestial  beings  or  symbohcal  representa- 
tions quite  distinct  from  angels,  and  often 
referred  to  in  the  Old  Testament  and  in  the 
book  of  Revelation.  Angels  are  often  sent 
on  messages,  but  cherubim  are  not  so 
described.  The  cherubim  are  variously 
represented  as  living  creatures.  Gen.  3  :  24 ; 
Ezek.  1 ;  Rev.  4  ;  or  as  images  wrought  in 
tapestrj',  gold,  or  wood,  Ex.  36  :  35 ;  37  : 7  ; 
Ezek.  41 :  25 ;  as  having  one,  two,  or  four 
faces,  Ex.  25:20;  Ezek.  41:18;  10:14,  as 
having  two,  four,  or  six  wings,  1  Kings  6  : 
27  ;  Ezek.  1:6;  Rev.  4:8;  in  the  simplest 
form,  as  in  the  golden  figures  above  the  ark 
of  the  covenant ;  or  in  the  most  complex 
and  sublime  form,  as  in  Ezekiel's  wonder- 
ful visions  of  the  glory  of  God — discerning 
and  ruling  all  things,  and  executing  irre- 
sistibly and  with  the  speed  of  thought  all 
his  wise  and  just  decrees.  Ezek.  1:10. 
The  fullest  of  these  descriptions  represents 
the  cherub  as  a  Avinged  figure,  hke  a  man 
in  form,  full  of  eyes,  and  with  a  four-fold 
head — of  a  man,  a'  lion,  an  ox,  and  an  eagle, 
with  wheels  turning  every  way,  and  speed 
like  the  lightning :  presenting  the  highest 
earthly  forms  and  powers  of  creation  in 
harmonious  and  perfect  union.  Ezek.  1 ; 
10  ;  41 ;  Rev.  4.  Usually  also  the  cherubim 
stand  in  a  special  nearness  to  God ;  they 
are  engaged  in  the  loftiest  adoration  and 
service,  moving  in  instant  accordance  with 
his  Avill,  Ps.  18  :  10 :  Ezek.  1 :  26  ;  10  :  20 ;  Rev. 
4  ;  they  are  seen  in  the  temple  inseparably 
associated  with  the  mercy -seat,  "  the  cher- 
ubim of  glory,"  Heb.  9 : 5 — made  of  the  same 
mass  of  pure" gold,  Ez.  25 :  19,  bending  rever- 
ently over  the  place  of  God's  presence,  Ps. 
99  :  i,  where  he  met  his  people.  Num.  7  :  89, 
accepting  the  blood  of  atonement.  Lev.  16  : 
14-16 ;  they  shone  forth  as  their  Saviour. 
Ps.  80  : 1 ;  Isa.  37  :  16.  2.  A  place  in  Baby- 
lonia.   Ezra  2  :  59 ;  Neh.  7  :  61. 

Chestnut  Tree.  Gen.  30 :  37 ;  Ezek.  31 : 
8,  A.  v.,  but  the  R.  V.  reads  plane-tree  in  , 
both  places.  The  tree  grows  to  a  large  size, 
with  a  mass  of  rich  foliage.  The  stem  is 
lofty,  covered  with  a  smooth  bark,  which 
annually  falls  off.  The  flowers  are  small, 
and  come  out  a  httle  before  the  leaves. 
This  tree  is  a  native  of  western  Asia,  but  is  •■ 
found  as  far  east  as  Cashmere. 

Chief  Priest.    See  Priest. 

Chimliam  (klm'hdm),  longing.  A  fol- 
lower, and  probably  a  son,  of  Barzillai  the 
Gileadite,  who  returned  from  beyond  Jor- 
dan with  David.  2  Sam.  19  :  37,  38,  40  (b.  c. 
1023).    David  appears  to  have  bestowed  on 


CHINNERETH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


CHURCH 


him  a  possession  at  Bethlehem,  on  which, 
in  later  times,  an  inn  or  khan  was  stand- 
ing.   Jer.  41 :  17. 

Clxinueretli  or  Chinneroth  [Idn'ne-reth 
or  kin'ne-roth),  harps.  Josh.  11 :  2.  A  fenced 
city  of  Naphtali,  on  the  lake,  or  sea,  of  the 
same  name;  afterward  called  Gennesar, 
or  Gennesaret,  and  about  three  miles  north- 
west of  Tiberias,  according  to  Fuerst. 

Chios  {kl'os).  An  island  of  the  ^Egean 
Sea,  five  miles  from  the  coast  of  Ionia,  in 
Asia  Minor.  It  is  32  miles  long  and  from  8 
to  18  miles  wide,  and  noted  for  its  wines. 
Paul  passed  by  it.  Acts  20  :  14, 15.  Its  mod- 
ern name  is  Scio  or  Khio. 

Cliisleu.    Neh.  1 : 1.    See  Month. 

Chittim  or  Kittiin  (kit'Um).  :Num.  24  : 
24 ;  Isa.  23 : 1,  12  ;  Jer.  2  :  10 ;  Ezek.  27  : 6  ; 
Dan.  11 :  30.  R.  V.  always  reads  Kittim.  In 
these  passages  the  "Isles,"  "ships,"  "prod- 
ucts," and  "people "of  Kittim  are  men- 
tioned or  alluded  to ;  hence  the  name  has 
generally  been  supposed  to  mean  the  island 
of  Cyprus,  though  Kitto  tliinks  it  a  gen- 
eral term  appUed  to  islands  and  coasts  west 
of  Palestine. 

Chiun.  Amos  5  :  26.  An  idol.  See 
Keinphan. 

Chorazin  (ko-rd'zin).  A  city  named 
with  Capernaum  and  Bethsaida  in  the  woes 
pronounced  by  Christ.  Matt.  11 :  20-23 ; 
Luke  10  :  13.  The  identification  of  Chorazin 
depends  largely,  though  not  wholly,  upon 
that  of  Capernaum.  Robinson  places  it  at 
Tell  Hum,  but  others,  with  greater  prob- 
ability, fix  its  site  at  Kerazeh,  two  and  a 
half  miles  northwest  of  Tell  Hum,  and 
west  of  the  valley  of  the  Jordan. 

Christ.    See  Jesus. 

Chronicles,  books  of^  Among  the 
ancient  Jews  these  formed  but  one  book, 
though  they  are  now  divided  in  Hebrew 
Bibles,  as  well  as  in  our  own,  into  two. 
They  were  called  The  Words  of  Days,  i.  e., 
Diaries  or  Journals.  The  Septuagint  trans- 
lators denominated  them  Paraleipomena, 
Things  omitted  ;  and  from  Jerome  we  have 
derived  the  name  "Chronicles."  They 
are  an  abridgment  of  the  whole  of  the 
sacred  history,  more  especially  tracing  the 
Hebrew  nation  from  its  origin,  and  detail- 
ing the  principal  events  of  the  reigns  of 
David  and  Solomon,  and  of  the  succeeding 
kings  of  Judah  down  to  the  return  from 
Babylon.  The  writer  goes  over  much  the 
same  ground  as  the  author  of  the  books 
of  Kings,  with  whose  work  he  was  probably 
acquainted.  He  does  not,  however,  merely 
produce  a  supplement,  but  works  out  his 
narrative  independently  after  his  own  man- 
ner. The  composition  of  the  books  is  as- 
cribed to  Ezra  by  Jewish  and  Christian 
tradition,  and  in  language  and  style  thev 
resemble  the  book  of  Ezra.  The  date  of 
Chronicles  cannot  be  fixed  earlier  than  the 
return  from  exile  ;  and  as  the  history  ends 
with  the  decree  of  Cyrus,  that  maybe  as- 
sumed as  the  time  of  their  composition. 

Chrysolite,  golden  stone.  A  precious 
stone  of  the  quartz  kind,  whose  prevaihng 
color  is  yellow  with  a  golden  lustre.  It  is 
supposed  to  be  the  modern  topaz.  Rev.  21 : 
20. 


Chrysoprasus,  golden  green.  A  precious 
stone  probably  allied  to  the  beryl,  usually 
of  a  greenish-golden  color.  Rev.  21 :  20. 
R.  v.,  Chrysoprase. 

Chub  {kilb),  R.  V.,  Cub  {kuh),  a  people. 
Probably  in  north  Africa,  and  of  a  land 
near  Egypt.    Ezek.  30  : 5. 

Chun  [kUn),  R.  V.,  Cun  {kiin).  1  Chron. 
18  :  8.    Same  as  Berothai.    2  Sam.  8  : 8. 

Church.  The  terms  which  this  word 
represents  are  variously  used  by  the  sacred 
writers.  Matt.  16  :  18.  It  may  be  suflticient 
to  notice  two  uses  of  the  term.  In  the  New 
Testament  it  is  apphed  particularly  to  Chris- 
tians as  a  body  or  community.  Acts  16  : 5. 
It  is  also  appUed  to  the  people  of  God  in  all 
ages  of  the  world,  whether  Jews  or  Chris- 
tians, Acts  7  :  38 ;  12  : 1 ;  Eph.  3  :  21 ;  5  :  25 ; 
for  although  there  have  been  two  dispensa- 
tions, viz.,  that  of  the  law  by  Moses,  and 
that  of  the  gospel  by  Jesus  Christ,  yet  the 
rehgion  of  the  Bible  is  one  rehgion : 
whether  before  or  after  the  coming  of  Christ, 
true  behevers  are  all  one  in  Christ  Jesus. 
Gal.  3  :  28.  Of  this  church  or  company  of 
the  redeemed,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  now 
the  Head,  and  the  Church  is  therefore  called 
the  body,  Col.  1 :  18,  24,  and  comprises  the 
redeemed  who  are  gone  to  heaven,  as  well 
as  those  who  are,  or  will  be,  on  the  earth. 
Heb.  12  :  23.  Particular  portions  of  the 
whole  body  of  Christians  are  also  called  the 
church,  as  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  at  Co- 
rinth, etc.  Acts  8 : 1 ;  1  Cor.  1 :  2 ;  4  :  17.  As 
the  great  work  wrought  on  earth  and  the 
reigning  of  Christ  in  heaven  constitute  him 
the  Founder  and  Head  of  the  Church,  as  it 
now  exists,  he  is  compared  to  "the  chief 
corner-stone  "  in  the  building,  Eph.  2  :  20, 
on  whom  the  whole  structure  is  dependent. 
For  this  purpose  God  "hath  put  all  things 
under  his  feet."  Eph.  1:22.  The  figura- 
tive language  which  is  employed  by  Christ 
himself,  as  well  as  by  his  apostles,  to  denote 
the  nature  of  his  relations  to  the  church 
(as  composed  of  ail  true  believers),  and  its 
relations  to  him,  is  of  the  most  significant 
character.  Some  of  these  have  been  inti- 
mated above ;  others  are  that  of  husband 
and  wife,  Eph.  5  :  30-32,  a  vine  and  its 
branches,  John  15 : 1-6,  and  a  shepherd  and 
his  flock,  John  10  :  11.  And  it  is  by  many 
supposed  that  the  Song  of  Solomon  is  a 
highly  figurative  and  poetical  illustration 
of  the  mutual  love  of  Christ  and  the  peo- 
ple of  his  church  in  all  ages.  In  modern 
times  the  word  is  applied  to  various  asso- 
ciations of  Christians,  united  by  a  common 
mode  of  faith  or  form  of  government ;  as 
the  Episcopal  Church,  the  Baptist  Church, 
the  Moravian  Church.etc.  The  word  church 
is  but  once  (then  doubtfully)  applied  in 
Scriptures  to  a  building.  1  Tiin.  3  :  15.  The 
visible  Israelitish  church  was  divided  into 
twelve  tribes  separated,  yet  to  be  united  as 
the  people  of  God  :  having  one  Scripture,  one 
sacrifice,  one  Jehovah.  Christ  told  his  apos- 
tles, "  Ye  shall  sit  on  twelve  thrones,  judg- 
ing the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel."  Matt.  19  : 
28.  James  addresses  his  epistle,  "To  the 
twelve  tribes  which  are  scattered  abroad  " 
("which  are  of  the  dispersion,"  R.  V.).  Jas. 
1:1.  In  the  progress  of  the  church  "  there 
57 


CHUSHAN-RISHATHAIM       PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


CITIZENSHIP 


were  sealed  one  hundred  and  forty-four 
thousand  of  all  the  tribes  of  Israel,"  Rev. 
7  : 4,  showing  that  the  visible  church  will 
continue  to  be  divided  into  tribes,  with  one 
Scripture  and  one  Saviour.  The  world  sel- 
dom was  in  greater  darkness  than  when  for 
1260  years  it  was  controlled  by  one  visible 
church,  the  Church  of  Rome.  And  the 
clamor  of  many  to  make  a  united  visible 
church  bv  attacking  all  creeds  and  confes- 
sions holding  the  great  doctrines  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  in  their  place  to  adopt  the 
assumptions  of  idolatrous  churches,  Avill 
never  be  reahzed.  The  church  had  in 
New  Testament  times,  elders,  overseers  or 
bishops,  in  each  congregation.  Matt.  26  : 3 ; 
Acts  14  :  23  ;  Titus  1 :  5,  7  ;  Acts  20  :  17,  28  ;  1 
Pet.  5  : 1,  3.  Compare  Ex.  3  :  16  ;  4 :  29.  The 
various  tribes  of  the  ancient  visible  church 
were  constantly  adopting  the  idolatries  of 
the  surrounding  nations,  and  were  brought 
into  subjection  by  them,  and  at  last  were 
scattered  and  the  most  of  them  lost  on  that 
account.  The  most  of  the  prophets  were 
sent  to  the  church  to  upbraid  them  for 
their  idolatries  and  for  forsaking  God. 
Christ  came  to  the  visible  church  and  was 
rejected.  The  epistles  speak  of  errors  in 
the  churches  founded  by  the  apostles.  And 
as  was  predicted  in  the  second  and  third 
chapters  of  Revelation,  the  candlestick  of 
nearly  every  one  of  them  has  been  re- 
moved. 

Chushan-Kisliathaim  {ku'shan-rish'a- 
thd'ivi),  most  wicked  Cushite,  or  otherwise, 
lord  of  the  land  of  the  two  rivers.  A  king  of 
Mesopotamia,  of  whom  nothing  more  is 
known  than  that  he  subjugated  Israel 
shortly  after  the  time  of  Joshua.  His  power 
was  broken  after  eight  years  by  Othmel, 
the  son  of  Kenaz.    Judges  3  : 8-11. 

Cilicia  {sl-ttsh'1-ah),  the  southeasterly 
province  of  Asia  Minor,  having  Cappadocia 
on  the  north,  Syria  on  the  east,  the  Med- 
iterranean Sea  on  the  south,  and  PamphyUa 
and  Pisidia  C?)  on  the  we«t.  Eastern  Cilicia 
was  a  rich  plain  ;  western  CiUcia  was  rough 
and  mountainous,  lying  on  the  Taurus 
range.  Its  capital  was  Tarsus,  and  many 
of  its  people  were  Jews.  It  is  frequently 
mentioned  in  the  book  of  Acts.  6:9;  15 : 
23,  41 ;  21 :  39 ;  22  :  3 ;  23  :  34 ;  27  :  5 ;  and  Gal. 
1 :  21.    See  Tarsvis. 

Circumcision.  A  Jewish  rite  which 
Jehovah  enjoined  upon  Abraham,  the 
father  of  the  Israelites,  as  the  token  of  the 
covenant,  which  assured  to  him  the  prom- 
ise of  the  Messiah.  Gen.  17.  It  was  thus 
made  a  necessary  condition  of  Jewish  citi- 
zenship. Every  male  child  was  to  be  cir- 
cumcised when  eight  days  old.  Lev.  12 : 3, 
on  pain  of  death.  The  biblical  notice  of 
the  rite  describes  it  as  distinctively  Jewish; 
so  that  in  the  New  Testament "  the  circum- 
cision "  and  "  the  uncircumcision  "  are  fre- 
quently used  as  synonyms  for  the  Jews 
and  the  Gentiles.  The  rite  has  been  found 
to  prevail  extensively  in  both  ancient  and 
modem  times.  Some  of  the  Jews  in  the 
time  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  wishing  to 
assimilate  themselves  to  the  heathen  around 
them,  "  made  themselves  uncircumcised." 
Against  having  recourse  to  this  practice, 

58 


from  an  excessive  anti-Judaistic  tenden- 
cy, Paul  cautioned  the  Corinthians.  1  Cor. 
7:18. 

Cistern.  A  vessel  to  hold  water;  also 
reservoirs.  During  nearly  half  the  year  no 
rain  falls  in  Palestine,  and  never-failing 
streams  and  springs  are  rare.  The  chief 
dependence  of  a  large  portion  of  the  popu- 
lation was  upon  the  water  which  fell  in  the 
rainy  season  and  which  they  gathered  in 
cisterns.  Isa.  36  :  16  ;  Jer.  2  :  13.  The  water 
is  conducted  into  them  during  the  rainy 
season,  and  with  proper  care  remains  pure 
and  sweet  during  the  whole  summer  and 
autumn.  When  dry,  they  might  be  used 
as  a  prison.  Gen.  37  :  22 ;  Jer.  38  : 6  ;  the 
"  pit "  was  doubtless  a  cistern,  or  a  granary, 
as  at  this  day ;  and  to  drink  water  only 
from  one's  own  domestic  cistern  means, 
to  content  one's  self  with  the  lawful  enjoy- 
ments of  his  own  home.    Prov.  5  :  15. 

Cities.  The  distinction  of  villages  from 
towns,  and  of  towns  from  cities  is  not  very 
clearly  marked  in  Scripture.  The  earhest 
notice  of  city  building  is  of  Enoch  by  Cain, 
in  the  land  of  his  exile.  Gen.  4  :  17.  After 
the  confusion  of  tongues  the  descendants 
of  Nimrod  founded  Babel,  Erech,  Accad 
and  Calneh,  in  the  land  of  Shinar,  and 
Asshur,  a  branch  from  the  same  stock, 
built  Nineveh,  Rehoboth  -  by  -  the  -  river, 
Calahand  Resen,  the  last  being  "a  great 
city."  The  earliest  description  of  a  city, 
properly  so  called,  is  that  of  Sodom.  Gen. 
19  : 1-22.  Even  before  the  time  of  Abraham 
there  were  cities  in  Egypt,  Gen.  12 :  14,  15  ; 
Num.  13  :  22,  and  the  Israehtes,  during  their 
sojourn  there,  were  employed  in  building 
or  fortifying  the  "  treasure  cities  "  of  Pithom 
and  Raamses.  Ex.  1 :  11.  Fenced  cities, 
fortified  with  high  walls,  Deut.  3  : 5,  were 
occupied  and  perhaps  partly  rebuilt  after 
the  conquest,  by  the  settled  inhabitants  of 
Syria  on  both  sides  of  the  Jordan. 

Cities  of  Refuge.  Were  six  Le\itical 
cities  specially  chosen  for  refuge  to  the  in- 
voluntary homicide  until  released  from 
banishment  by  the  death  of  the  high  priest. 
Num.  35  :6,  13,  15  ;  Josh.  20  : 2,  7,  9.  There 
were  three  on  each  side  of  Jordan.  1. 
Kedesh,  in  Gahlee,  1  Chron.  6:76.  2. 
Shechem,  in  Ephraim,  Josh.  21 :  21 ;  1  Chron. 
6  :  67  ;  2  Chron.  10  : 1.  3.  Hebron,  in  Judah, 
Josh.  21  :  13 ;  2  Sam.  5:5:1  Chron.  6  :  55  ; 
29 :  27  ;  2  Chron.  11 :  10.  4.  On  the  east  side 
of  Jordan— Bezer,  in  the  tribe  of  Reuben, 
in  the  plains  of  Moab,  Deut.  4  :  43  ;  Josh.  20 : 
8 ;  21  :  36.  5.  Ramoth-gilead,  in  the  tribe 
of  Gad,  Deut.  4  :43  ;  Josh.  21 :  38 ,  1  Kings 
22  : 3.  6.  Golan,  in  Bashan,  in  the  half- 
tribe  of  JSIanasseh,  Deut.  4 :  43  ;  Josh.  21 :  27  ; 
1  Chron.  6  :  71. 

Citizenship.  The  Jew  had  no  citizen- 
ship :  he  belonged  to  Jehovah.  The  use  of 
this  term  in  Scripture  refers  to  the  usages 
of  the  Roman  empire.  The  privilege  of 
Roman  citizenship  was  originally  acquired 
in  various  ways,  as  by  purchase.  Acts  22 : 
28,  by  mihtary  services,  by  favor  or  by  man- 
umission. The  right  once  obtained  de- 
scended to  a  man's  children.  Acts  22  :  28. 
A  citizen  could  not  be  bound  or  imprisoned 
without  a  formal  trial,  Acts  22 :  29,  still  leas 


CLAUDIUS  LYSIAS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


COLOSSIANS 


be  scourged,  Acts  16 :  37.  Another  privi- 
lege attaciiing  to  citizenship  was  the  appeal 
from  a  provincial  tribunal  to  the  emperor 
at  Rome.    Acts  25  :  11. 

Claudius  L,ysias  {klaxo'di-us  llsh'i-as  or 
Its'i-as).  A  Roman  tribune,  commanding  in 
Jerusalem.  His  conduct  on  two  occasions, 
in  reference  to  Paul,  is  creditable  to  his  etli- 
ciency  and  humanity.  Acts  21 :  31-40  ;  22 
and  23. 

Claudius  {Uaw'di-us).  Tiberius  Claudius 
Nero  Drusus  Germanicus,  the  son  of  Nero 
Drusus,  born  at  Lyons  9  or  10  b.  c.  ;  became 
fourtli  Roman  emperor  on  the  assassination 
of  Caius  Cahgula,  and  reigned  41-54  a.  d. 
He  was  a  weak  and  indolent  man,  and 
was  poisoned  by  his  fourth  wife,  Agrippina. 
Several  famines  occurred  in  the  reign  of 
Claudius,  one  of  which  extended  to  Pales- 
tine and  Syria.  Acts  11 :  28-30.  And  there 
was  an  edict  of  his  which,  in  consequence 
of  a  tumult,  expelled  the  Jews  from  Rome. 
Acts  18  : 2.  It  is  not  agreed  when  this  edict 
was  issued.  It  is  variously  assigned  to  years 
between  49  and  53  a.  d. 

Clean  and  Unclean.  A  distinction,  most 
probably  with  reference  to  sacrifice,  was 
made  between  clean  and  unclean  animals 
before  the  flood.  Gen.  7  : 2,  8  ;  8  :  20.  Under 
the  Mosaic  law  the  distinction  was  extended 
to  food.  Thus  in  Lev.  11  and  Deut.  14  there 
are  lists  of  animals,  birds,  and  fishes,  which 
the  Hebrews  might  and  might  not  eat.  The 
regulations  thus  made  were  doubtless  pro- 
motive of  health.  But,  besides,  they,  as 
well  as  the  purifications  prescribed  for  un- 
cleanness  in  men,  Lev.  11 :  15 ;  Num.  19, 
had  a  symbolical  meaning,  which  is  illus- 
trated in  Heb.  9  : 9-14.  Eating  with  Gentiles 
was  regarded  as  a  greater  offence  against 
the  traditional  law  than  being  in  company 
with  them,  and  was  one  of  the  charge's 
against  our  Lord.  Matt.  9  :  10,  11 ;  11 :  19  ; 
Luke  5  :  30.  This  view  of  the  law  was  dis- 
tinctly annulled  by  the  vision  to  Peter,  be- 
fore he  preached  to  Cornelius.  Acts  10 : 9- 
16. 

Clothes.    Gen.  37  :  29.    See  Garments. 

Clouted.  Josh.  9  : 5.  Worn  out  and 
patched  clothes. 

Cnidus  {nl'dus).  A  Greek  city  at  the 
extreme  southwestern  corner  of  Asia  Minor, 
now  in  ruins,  on  Cape  Crio. 

Coast.  Judg.  11 :  20,  22.  ='  Border  "  and 
"  borders." 

Cockatrice.  Isa.  11 : 8 ;  14  :  29 ;  59 : 5,  A. 
V.  The  R.  V.  reads  in  all  cases  "  basilisk  " 
or  "adder,"  margin.  The  word,  in  the 
Scriptures,  evidently  denotes  a  very  ven- 
omous reptile.  The  original  signifies  a 
creature  that  "  hisses,"  doubtless  some  spe- 
cies of  serpent.  Tristram  proposes  the  great 
yellow  viper,  the  largest  of  its  kind  found 
in  Palestine,  and  one  of  the  most  danger- 
ous. 

Cock-crowing.  This  word  occurs  in 
the  New  Testament  to  designate  the  third 
watch  in  the  night,  about  equidistant  from 
midnight  and  dawn.  Matt.  26  :  34 ;  Mark 
13 :  35.  This  watch  was  called  by  the  Ro- 
mans gaUicinium.  They  divided  the  night 
Into  four  watches  of  three  hours  each,  that 
is,  from  six  in  the  evening  to  nine ;  from 


nine  to  twelve ;  from  twelve  to  three ;  and 
from  three  to  six.  Tiie  last  two  watches 
were  both  of  them  called  "  cock-crowings," 
because  cocks  usually  crowed  in  that  space 
of  time.  We  have  no  evidence  in  support 
of  the  Rabbinical  opinion  that  cocks  were 
not  permitted  to  be  kept  in  Jerusalem  on 
account  of  the  hohness  of  the  place. 

Cockle,  stinking  like  carrion.  This  word 
may  denote  troublesome  or  ofiensive  weeds 
in  general.    Job  31 :  40. 

Cotter.  1  Sam.  6:8.  A  box  or  chest 
hanging  from  the  side  of  a  cart. 

College.  2  Kings  22:14;  2  Chron.  34: 
22,  A.  v.,  but  the  R.  V.  reads  "the  second 
quarter,"  meaning  the  lower  part  of  the 
city. 

Collops,  Fat.    Job  15  :  27.    Thick  pieces. 

Colors.  Gen.  37  : 3.  The  art  of  coloring 
cloth  was  brought  to  great  perfection  among 
the  Jews,  and  by  the  Phosnicians  and  Egyp- 
tians. Four  artificial  colors  are  spoken  os. 
in  the  Bible:  1.  Purple,  which  was  de- 
rived from  a  shellfish  native  to  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea.  Purple  was  the  royal  and 
noble  color,  indicative  of  wealth  and  sta- 
tion. Judg.  8:26;  Esth.  8:15;  Luke  16: 
19 ;  Rev.  17  :  4.  2.  Blue,  produced  from  a 
similar  source,  used  in  the  same  way,  and 
for  the  same  purposes.  Ex.  25  : 4  ;  Esth.  1 : 
6.  3.  Scarlet  and  crimson  appear  to  express 
the  same  color.  4.  Vermihon  was  used  in 
fresco-painting,  Ezek.  23 :  14,  for  coloring 
the  idols  themselves,  and  for  decorating  the 
walls  and  beams  of  houses,  Jer.  22  :  14. 
The  natural  colors  noticed  in  the  Bible  are 
white,  black,  red,  yellow,  and  green,  yet 
only  three  colors  are  sharply  defined— white, 
black,  and  red.  To  show  the  vagueness  of 
the  use  of  the  others,  the  tint  green  (trans- 
lated "  yellow  "  in  the  A.  V.),  is  apphed  in 
the  Hebrew  to  gold,  Ps.  68  :  13,  and  to  the 
leprous  spot.    Lev.  13 :  49. 

Colosse,  or  Colossae  {ko-lds'se).  A  city 
of  Phrygia,  on  the  Lycus,  a  branch  of  the 
Mfeander,  and  twelve  miles  above  Laodi- 
cea.  Paul  wrote  to  the  church  there.  Col. 
1 : 2,  and  possibly  visited  it  on  his  third 
missionary  journey.  See  Acts  18 :  23  ;  19  : 
10.  The  town  is  how  in  ruins ;  there  is  a 
httle  village  called  Chronos  three  miles 
south  of  the  site  of  Colosse. 

Colossians  {ko-losh'l-anz,  or  ko-ldsh'anz), 
the  Epistle  to  the.  Was  written  by  the 
apostle  Paul  while  he  was  a  prisoner  at 
Rome,  Acts  28  :  16,  and  apparently.  Col.  4 : 
3,  4,  before  his  imprisonment  had  assumed 
the  more  severe  character  Avhich  seems 
to  be  reflected  in  the  epistle  to  the  Phihp- 
pians,  Phil.  1 :  20,  21,  30 ;  2 :  27,  and  which 
not  improbably  succeeded  the  death  of 
Burrus  in  A.  n.  62,  and  the  decline  of  the 
influence  of  Seneca.  The  epistle  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  Christians  of  the  citv  of  Co- 
lossse,  and  was  dehvered  to  them  bV  Tych- 
icus,  whom  the  apostle  had  sent  both  to 
them,  Col.  4:7,  8,, and  to  the  church  of 
Ephesus,  Eph.  6  :  21,  to  inquire  into  their 
state  and  to  give  exhortation  and  comfort. 
The  epistle  seems  to  have  been  called  forth 
by  the  information  Paul  had  received  from 
Epaphras,  Col.  4  :  12  :  Phile.  23,  and  from 
Onesimus,  both  of  whom  appear  to  have 
59 


COMFORTER 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


CORINTH 


been  natives  of  Colossae.  The  main  ob- 
ject of  the  epistle  is  to  warn  the  Colos- 
sians  against  a  spirit  of  semi-Judaism  and 
a  philosophy  which  was  corrupting  the  sim- 
pUcity  of  tlieir  belief,  and  was  noticeably 
tending  to  obscure  the  glorj'  and  dignity 
of  Christ.  The  shorter  epistle  to  the  Colos- 
sians  seems  to  have  been  first  written,  and 
to  have  suggested  the  more  comprehensive 
epistle  to  the  Ephesians. 

Comforter.  The  rendering  of  the  Greek 
paracletos,  v.'hich  strictly  means  "one  called 
to  another ; "  hence  a  "  helper."  The  Greek 
term  is  applied  to  Christ:  "We  have  an 
advocate  with  the  Father,  Jesus  Christ  the 
righteous."  1  John  2 : 1.  Usually  it  desig- 
nates the  Holy  Spirit.  He  is  the  "other 
Comforter,"  or  "Helper,"  succeeding  Christ, 
the  great  promised  blessing  of  the  Christian 
church.  John  14 :  16,  17,  26  ;  15  :  26  ;  Luke 
24 :  49 ;  Acts  1 : 4.  The  English  word  Com- 
forter does  not  adequately  represent  the 
Greek  word  paracletos,  nor  fully  describe 
the  ofiice  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  disciples 
found  the  promise  fulfilled  to  them.  The 
Spirit  aided  them  when  called  before  coun- 
cils ;  guided  them  into  all  truth  respecting 
the  plan  of  salvation  ;  brought  to  their  re- 
membrance the  words  and  deeds  of  Christ ; 
and  revealed  to  them  things  to  come.  His 
presence  was  accompanied  by  signal  tri- 
umphs of  grace,  and  made  amends  for  the 
absence  of  Christ.  He  is  therefore  not  only 
a  Comforter,  but  is  also  a  Teacher,  Witness, 
Reprover,  and  Guide.  John  14 :  26  ;  15  ;  26  ; 
16:8,  13,  14.  He  is  "another  Comforter," 
not  in  the  sense  of  a  different  kind  of  a 
Comforter  or  Helper,  but  of  an  additional 
one.  The  chinch  is  still  under  the  guid- 
ance of  the  Comforter.  The  Holy  Spirit 
still  convinces  the  world  of  sin,  of  right- 
eousness, and  of  judgment. 

Compass.  2  Kings  3:9.  "To  fetch  a 
compass"  there.  Acts  28  :  13,  and  elsewhere 
means  "to  go  around,"  or  "  to  make  a  cir- 
cuit."   R.  V. 

Concision.  A  term  used  sarcastically  of 
Judaizers  who  insisted  on  circumcision  as 
necessary  for  Gentile  Christians.    Phil.  3  : 2. 

Concubine.  A  secondarj-  wife.  The 
practice  of  having  concubines  probably 
grew  out  of  a  desire  for  numerous  offspring, 
and  this  also  was  one  support  of  polygamy  : 
when  there  was  a  plurality  of  wives,  sorae 
were  placed  in  an  inferior  grade.  Concu- 
bines are  mentioned  very  early  in  Scripture, 
as  in  the  history  of  Abraham,  Gen.  16,  of 
Nahor,  22  :  24,  of  Jacob,  30.  Sometimes 
wives,  as  in  the  cases  of  Sarah,  Rachel  and 
Leah,  gave  their  servants  to  their  husbands 
for  concubines,  in  order  to  obtain  children, 
and  the  children  so  born  were  then  reck- 
oned as  belonging  to  the  wife  whose  ser- 
vant the  mother  was.  Keturah  is  said  to 
have  been  Abraham's  wife.  Gen.  25  : 1 ;  and 
yet,  5,  6,  all  Abraham's  sons  save  Isaac  are 
called  the  sons  of  concubines.  We  must, 
then,  conclude  that  the  concubines  had  a 
recognized  position,  and  that  the  children 
were  legitimate,  though  more  dependent, 
perhaps,  upon  the  father's  will  for  any 
share  in  his  inheritance  than  the  sons  of 
the  actual  or  chosen  wives.  The  law  of 
60 


Moses  did  not  stop  the  practice  of  having 
concubines,  but  modified  it.  Ex.  21  :  7-9  ; 
Dent.  21  :  10-17.  Concubines  were  often 
servants  or  captives,  Ex.  21 :  7-11 ;  Deut  21 : 
10-14 ;  but  this  was  not  always  the  case. 
The  Levite's  concubine,  Judg.  19,  was 
neither;  and  it  is  observable  that  her 
father  is  called  the  Levite's  father-in-law. 
After  the  establishment  of  the  IsraeUtish 
monarchy,  the  kings  increased  the  number 
of  concubines  ;  and  the  right  over  those  of 
one  monarch,  accrued  to  his  successor ;  so 
that  to  seize  on  any  of  them  was  regarded 
as  an  overt  act  of  rebelhon.  2  Sam.  3:7; 
12  : 8 ;  1  Kings  2  :  22 ;  11 : 3.  The  Kew  Tes- 
tament teaching  restores  marriage  to  its 
original  character,  requiring  a  man  to  be 
the  husband  of  one  wife.    Gen.  2  :  24 ;  Matt. 

19  :  5 ;  1  Cor.  7  : 2. 

Conduit.  2  Kings  18:17;  20:20;  Isa. 
7  :  3  ;  36  : 2.  Used  to  signify  some  mode  for 
conveying  water,  as  a  "water  course"  (R. 
Y.  channel),  Job  38  :  25,  or  a  "trench,"  It 
probably  included  an  aqueduct,  such  as 
must  have  been  used  to  convey  the  water 
from  the  Pool  of  Solomon  to  Jerusalem. 

Coney  is  the  Syrian  hyrax,  a  small 
animal,  resembhng"in  size  and  form  the 
rabbit,  and  of  a  brownish  color.  It  is,  how- 
ever, much  heavier  than  the  hare  or  rabbit, 
almost  v/ithout  a  tail,  and  has  long  bristly 
hairs  scattered  through  the  fur.  The  feet 
are  naked  below,  and  the  nails  flat  and 
rounded,  except  those  on  the  inner  toe  of 
the  hind  feet,  which  are  long  and  awl- 
shaped.  The  coney  cannot  dig,  but  resides 
in  the  clefts  of  rocks.  It  is  called  by  Solo- 
mon "  wise,"  and  "a  feeble  folk  ; "  is  quiet 
and  gregarious  in  habit,  and  so  timid  that 
it  starts  at  the  shadow  of  a  passing  bird.  It 
is  described  as  chewing  its  cud,  Lev.  11 : 5 ; 
Deut.  14  : 7  ;  for  it  has  a  pecuhar  movement 
of  the  jaw  as  if  chewing.  It  is  a  very 
nimble,  active  animal. 

Conver.sation.  Phil.  3 :  20,  A.  V.,  but  the 
R.  V.  reads  more  accurately  "citizenship." 

Corban  (Kor'ban),  offering,  a  word  im- 
plying that  the  thing  to  which  it  apphed 
was  consecrated  to  God.    Mark  7  :  11. 

Corinth  (Kor'inth),  the  capital  of  Acbaia 
and  a  noted  city  of  Greece.  It  had  two  sea- 
ports, Cenchrea  and  Lechseum.  On  the 
south  a  rocky  mountain  called  Acrocorin- 
thus  rises  abruptly  to  the  heig;ht  of  2000 
feet,  upon  the  summit  of  which  was  a 
temple  of  Venus.  Paul  preached  at  Cor- 
inth, about  A.  D.  53,  a  year  and  six 
months.  Acts  18  :  11 ;  paid  it,  a.  d.  54-57,  a 
short  second  visit  ("by  the  way"),  not 
mentioned  in  the  Acts,  but  imphed  in 
1  Cor.  16  : 7  ;  2  Cor.  12  :  13, 14 ;  13  : 1,  where 
he  speaks  of  an  intended  third  journey 
to  Corinth,  which  coincides  with  that  in 
Acts  20  : 2 ;  and  spent  there  the  three  win- 
ter months,  from  57  to  58,  during  which 
he  wrote  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans.    Acts  , 

20  : 2,  3 ;  comp.  1  Cor.  16  : 6  ;  Rom.  16  : 1. 
He  wrote  two  letters  to  the  Christians  in 
that  city,  rebuking  their  sins,  and  refers  to 
the  Isthmian  games  celebrated  at  Corinth 
every  Olympiad.  The  city  is  now  desolate, 
the  little  miserable  village  "of  Gortho  occupy- 
ing its  site. 


CORINTHIANS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


COVENANT 


Corinthians  (Ko-rtn'thi-anz),  The  Epis- 
tles to.  These  two  epistles  discuss  questions 
arising  out  of  the  appheation  of  the  gospel  to 
the  ordinary  alfairs  of  hfe.  I.  The  first  epistle 
was  written  by  Paul  at  Ephesus,  about  a. 
D.  57,  when  the  apostle  received  intelhgence 
respecting  the  Corinthian  church,  through 
the  family  of  Chloe,  1  Cor.  1 :  11,  and  a  letter 
requesting  advice,  7 : 1,  probably  brought 
by  Stephanas,  16  :  17.  Factions  had  risen 
in  the  church,  some  using  Paul's  name  and 
some  those  of  Peter,  Apollos,  and  of  Christ, 
in  bitter  contentions.  Paul  endeavors  to 
restore  harmony  among  them.  He  directs 
them  as  to  the  best  method  of  Christian 
beneficence,  and  closes  with  friendly  greet- 
ings. II.  The  second  epistle  was  called  forth 
by  intelhgence  received  through  Titus,  at 
Philippi.  Paul  learned  of  the  i'avorable  re- 
ception of  his  former  letter,  and  the  good 
effects  produced,  but  that  a  party  remained 
opposed  to  him— accusing  him  of  fickleness 
in  not  fulfilhng  his  promise  to  visit  them  ; 
blaming  his  severity  toward  the  incestuous 
person ;  and  charged  him  with  an  assump- 
tion of  unwarranted  authority.  In  his  re- 
ply he  answers  all  these  objections;  en- 
larges upon  the  excellence  of  the  new 
covenant,  and  the  duties  and  rewards  of 
its  ministers,  and  on  the  duty  of  the  Corin- 
thian Christians  in  charitable  collections. 
He  then  vindicates  his  dignity  and  author- 
ity as  an  apostle.  He  closes  by  urging  them 
to  penitence,  peace,  and  brotherly  love. 
The  second  epistle  probably  was  written  a 
few  months  after  the  first. 

Cormoi'ant,  the  plunger,  Lev.  11 :  17  ; 
Dent.  11 :  17,  an  unclean  bird,  like  the  cor- 
morant— which  is  a  water-bird  about  the 
size  of  a  goose.  Another  Hebrew  word, 
translated  "connorant"  in  Isa.  34:11; 
Zeph.  2  :  14,  A.  V.,  should  rather  be  trans- 
lated as  it  is  in  the  R.  V.,  and  in  other  pas- 
sages of  the  A.  v.,  "pehcan." 

Corn.  A  general  name  for  grain.  The 
most  common  kinds  were  wheat,  barlev, 
spelt,  R.  v., Ex.  9  : 32  and  Isa.  28  : 25,  " rye  ]" 
Ezek.  4:9,  "fitches"  and  millet;  oats  are 
■mentioned  only  by  rabbinical  writers.  Our 
Indian  corn  was  unknown  in  Bible  times. 
The  Jewish  law  permitted  any  one  in  pass- 
ing through  a  field  of  standing  corn  to  pluck 
and  eat.  Deut.  23  :  25  ;  see  also  Matt.  12  : 1. 
From  Solomon's  time,  2  Chron.  2  :  10,  15,  as 
agriculture  became  developed  under  a  set- 
tled government,  Palestine  was  a  corn-ex- 
porting country,  and  her  grain  was  largely 
taken  by  her  commercial  neighbor  Tyre. 
Ezek.  27  :  17  ;  comp.  Amos  8 : 5. 

Cornelius  [Kor-ne'li-us,  'Eng.Koi'-nH'yus). 
A  Roman  centurion  of  the  Italian  cohort 
stationed  in  Csesarea,  Acts  10  : 1,  etc.,  a  man 
full  of  good  works  and  almsdeeds.  With 
his  household  he  was  baptized  by  Peter, 
and  thus  CorneUus  became  the  first-fruits 
of  the  Gentile  world  to  Christ. 

Corner.  According  to  the  ^Mosaic  law, 
it  was  forbidden  to  reap  the  corners  of  the 
field,  so  that  there  might  be  gleanings  for 
the  poor.  Lev.  19  :  9 ;  23 :  22.  The  "  corner 
of  the  house-top,"  Prov.  21 :9,  is  a  narrow 
place  exposed  to  sun  and  rain,  contrasted  , 
with  the  wide  room  or  house  below.    The  I 


word  "comer  "in  the  phrase  "  corners  of 
Moab,"  or  of  any  other  country.  Num. 
24 :  17  ;  Jer.  48 :  45,  means  the  length  and 
breadth  of  the  country,  and  also  of  the 
world.  "  Corner  of  a  bed,"  Amos  3:12,  the 
corner  of  a  room  ;  was  on  the  elevated  part 
(used  by  night  for  a  bed  or  couch),  and  con- 
tained the  most  honorable  seat.  In  the  pas- 
sage last  cited  it  figuratively  denotes  the 
most  proud  and  luxurious  of  the  Israehtes 
in  Samaria.  In  Zech.  10  : 4  the  word  "  cor- 
ner "is  used  to  denote  either  the  corner- 
stone or  the  most  conspicuous  part  of  a 
building,  and  evidently  refers  to  Christ, 
Matt.  21 :  42. 

Corner-stone.  Job  38  : 6.  Christ  is  called 
"  the  corner-stone  of  the  Church,"  because 
he  gives  strength  and  unity  to  the  whole 
structure  of  God's  house.  Comp.  Eph.  2  :  20 ; 
1  Pet.  2:6;  Matt.  21 :  42  ;  Rom.  9  :  32,  33 ;  ] 
Cor.  1 :  23. 

Cornet  (Heb.  shophdr).  A  loud-sound- 
ing instrument,  made  of  the  horn  of  a  ram 
or  of  a  chamois  (sometimes  of  an  ox),  and 
used  by  the  ancient  Hebrews  for  signals. 
Lev.  25:9,  R.  V.  "trumpet,"  and  much 
used  by  the  priests.    1  Chron.  15 :  28. 

Cos  {Kos)  or  Coos  {Ko-os).  A  small  isl- 
and in  the  ^Egean  sea  off  the  coast  of  Caria, 
the  birthplace  of  Hippocrates,  with  a  chief 
town  of  the  same  name,  in  which  was  a 
famous  temple  of  ^sculapius.  The  island 
was  celebrated  for  its  wines,  beautiful  stuffs, 
and  ointments.  Paul  passed  a  night  here 
on  his  voyage  from  Miletus  to  Judea.  Acts 
21:1. 

Council.  There  are  three  legal  bodies 
called  "councils"  in  the  English  N.  T. ; 
1.  The  Sanhedrin,  the  supreme  court  of 
the  Jews,  the  fountain  of  their  government, 
which  sat  at  Jerusalem.  By  this  body 
Jesus  was  tried.  Matt.  26  :  59.  2.  The  lesser 
courts.  Matt.  10  :  17  ;  Mark  13 : 9.  One  was 
in  each  town,  but  two  in  the  capital. 
Josephus  states  that  each  court  consisted 
of  seven  judges,  with  two  Levites  as  asses- 
sors. The  "judgment,"  INIatt  5:21,  prob- 
ably applies  to  them.  3.  The  "  cormcil " 
spoken  of  in  Acts  25:12  was  a  kind  of 
jury  "  composed  of  councillors  appointed 
to  assist  and  advise  the  Roman  govern- 
ors." 

Covenant.  An  agreement  or  mutual 
contract  made  with  great  solemnity.  The 
Hebrew  word  bireth,  for  covenant,  means 
"a  cutting,"  having  reference  to  the  cus- 
tom of  cutting  or  dividing  animals  in  two 
and  passing  between  the  parts  in  ratifying 
a  covenant.  Gen.  15 ;  Jer.  34 :  18,  19.  In 
the  New  Testament  the  corresponding  word 
is  dlathcke,  wdiich  is  frequently  translated 
testament  in  the  Authorized  Version.  In 
the  Bible  the  word  is  used :  1.  Of  a  cove- 
nant between  God  and  man  ;  as  God's  cov- 
enant with  Noah,  after  the  flood.  The  Old 
Covenant,  from  which  we  name  the  first 
part  of  the  Bible  the  Old  Testament,  is  the 
covenant  of  works  ;  the  New  Covenant,  or 
New  Testament,  is  that  of  grace.  2.  Cove- 
nant between  tribes,  Josh.  9  : 6,  15 ;  1  Sam. 
11:1,  or  between  individuals.  Gen.  31:44." 
In  making  such  a  covenant  God  was  sol- 
emnly invoked  as  witness,  Gen.  31 :  50,  and 
61 


CRACKNELS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


CROWN  OF  THORNS 


an  oath  was  taken.  Gen.  21 :  31.  A  sign 
or  witness  of  the  covenant  was  sometimes 
framed,  such  as  a  gift,  Gen.  21 :  30,  or  a  pil- 
lar or  heap  of  stones  erected.  Gen.  31 :  52. 
God's  covenants,  from  the  beginning,  have 
been  with  liis  people  and  their  seed— with 
Adam,  Gen.  2  :  17  ;  Rom.  5  :  12 ;  1  Cor.  15  : 
22 ;  with  Noah,  Gen.  9:9;  with  Abraham, 
Gen.  17  : 7 ;  22  :  18 ;  with  the  Jews,  Ex.  6  : 4  ; 
19  : 5 ;  20  : 6  ;  34  :  27  ;  Lev.  26  : 9,  42, 45 ;  Deut. 
4  : 9,  37  ;  with  Christians,  Acts  2 :  39 ;  Eph. 
6:2.  A  covenant  of  salt,  Num.  18 ;  19 ;  2 
Chron.  13  : 5,  was  a  compact  in  which  salt 
Avas  used  in  its  ratification. 

Cracknels.  1  Kings  14  :  3.  Small  drj' 
cakes. 

Crane.  A  large  bird  measuring  four 
feet  in  height  and  seven  feet  from  tip  to  tip 
of  Its  extended  wings.  When  upon  the 
wing  it  is  usually  noisy,  and  its  cr>'  is  hoarse 
and  melancholy ;  hence  the  allusion  of  Isa. 
38  :  14.  These  "birds  return  in  the  spriVig 
with  great  regularity  from  their  migrations, 
and  flocks  of  thousands  pass  over  Pales- 
tine. Jer.  8  : 7.  But  the  two  Hebrew  words 
sus  and  agicr,  rendered  "  crane  "  and  "  swal- 
low," may  signify  the  "  swallow  twittering" 
or  "  chattering." 

Crete  (kreet),  now  Candia.  A  large  island 
in  the  Mediterranean  sea,  midway  between 
Syria  and  Italy.  It  is  about  140  miles  long 
by  35  miles  wide.  The  people  w^ere  pro- 
verbially hars.  Tit.  1 :  12— a  character  they 
are  said  still  to  bear.  "Homer  dates  all 
the  fictions  of  Ulysses  from  Crete,  as  if  he 
meant  to  pass  a  similar  censure  on  the  Cre- 
tans." Cretans  were  at  Jerusalem  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  Acts  2  :  11 ;  Paul  was 
shipwrecked  near  the  island,  and  he  left 
Titus  there  as  the  fii-st  pastor  and  superin- 
tendent, who  was  "to  ordain  elders  in 
every  city"  of  the  island.  Tit.  1:5.  It  is 
nowunder  the  tyranny  of  the  Turks. 

Crimson.    Jer.  4  :  30.     See  Colors. 

Crisping-pins,  Isa.  3  :  22,  A.  V.,  "  satch- 
els" R.  V.  Probably  some  small  orna- 
mented reticule. 

Cross.  The  frightful  mode  of  punishment 
by  the  cross  appears  to  have  been  ]:)ractised 
from  the  earUest  periods  well  known  to 
history.  Crosses  Avere  made  of  two  beams 
of  Avood,  crossing  each  other  either  at  right 
angles,  or  obliquely  in  the  shape  of  the  let- 
ler  X  ;  Avith  various  modifications  of  form. 
There  Avas  sometimes  also  a  kind  of  bracket 
attached  near  the  bottom  of  the  upright 
piece,  as  a  partial  support  to  the  sufierer. 
Crucifixion  Avas  inflicted  among  the  an- 
cient Persians,  Assyrians,  Egyptians,  Car- 
thaginians, Indians,  Scythians,  Greeks,  and 
Macedonians.  Among  the  Romans,  it  pre- 
vailed from  very  early  times  doAvn  to  the 
reign  of  Constaiitine  the  Great,  by  Avhom 
it  Avas  abolished  ;  and  from  the  Romans  it 
most  probably  passed  to  the  JeAvs  ;  though 
some  have  imagined  that  they  could  trace 
the  punishment  in  such  passages  as  Deut. 
21 :  22,  23.  The  mode  of  execiation  by  the 
cross  may  be  thus  described.  Sometimes 
the  sufferer  was  fastened  to  the  cross  as  it 
lav  on  the  ground  :  it  Avas  then  hfted,  Avith 
the  body  attached,  and  dropped  into  the 
hole,  so  prepared  that  the  feet  Avere  not 
62 


more  than  about  half  a  yard  from  the  earth. 
But  sometimes  the  cross  Avas  first  set  up ; 
and  then  the  criminal  Avas  attached  to  it. 
Tying  and  naihng  were  both  in  use.  Our 
Lord  Avas  nailed.  A  medicated  draught 
Avas  oftered  to  stupefy  the  senses  :  this  Jesus 
refused.  Mark  15 :  23.  It  Avas  merciful  to 
break  the  legs:  death  Avould  come  the 
sooner.  The  cross  on  which  our  Lord  suf- 
fered Avas,  if  we  may  credit  a  legend,  made 
of  the  aspen ;  Avhich  is  said  hence  to  be 
continually  trembhng.  More  reasonably, 
it  may  be  beUeved  to  have  been  of  oak, 
Avhich  was  jjlentiful  in  Judea.  The  cross 
of  Christ  Avas  honored  by  his  disciples.  It 
Avas  Christ  crucified  whom  the  apostles 
preached;  the  divine  Redeemer  stooping 
so  loAv  as  to  endure  this  shocking  death,  in 
order  to  make  a  sufiicient  sacrifice,  satisfac- 
tion, and  oblation,  for  the  sins  of  the  Avorld. 
1  Cor.  1 :  23,  24 ;  2:2.  Hence  they  gloried 
in  the  cross  of  Christ,  Gal.  6  :  14,  and  Avill- 
ingly,  for  loA^e  of  him,  took  up  the  cross  (a 
figurative  expression)  and  followed  him, 
suffering  for  his  sake  persecution  even  to 
the  death.  2  Tim.  2  :  11,  12.  Some  centu- 
ries elapsed  before  the  symbol  was  turned 
into  an  image,  the  cross  into  the  figure  of 
Christ  suspended  on  it.  It  may  be  added  that 
though  among  other  nations  bodies  were 
generally  suftered  to  rot  upon  the  cross,  the 
rites  of  sepulture  being  denied,  the  Jews 
observed  the  precept  of  Deut.  21 :  23,  and 
took  doAvn  the  corpse  before  sunset.  When 
the  Roman  empire  became  Christian,  the 
cross,  heretofore  so  shameful,  Avas  adopted 
as  a  symbol  of  honor ;  it  glittered  on  the 
helmets  of  the  soldiery,  was  engraven  on 
their  shields,  and  interAVOven  into  their 
banners. 

Crown.  "  Many  croAvns  "  is  an  expres- 
sion occurring  in  Scripture,  Rev.  19  :  12 ;  it 
being  customary  for  those  Avho  claimed  au- 
thority over  more  than  one  country  to  M'ear 
double  or  united  croAvns.  We  have  a  fa- 
miliar illustration  of  this  in  the  papal  tiara, 
or  triple  croAvn.  CroAvns  of  laurel,  etc., 
Avere  giA^en  to  \ictors  in  the  ancient  games ; 
hence  the  Christian's  final  prize  is  repre- 
sented as  a  crown,  the  symbol  of  successful 
contest,  the  appropriate  ornament  of  the 
roval  dignitv  conferred  upon  him.  1  Cor. 
9  :'25 ;  2  Tim.  2:5:4:8;  Rev.  3  :  11.  The 
term  is  also  used  figuratively  elscAvhere,  as 
in  Prov.  12  : 4 ;  14 :  24  ;  16  :  31.  There  were 
ancient  coins  called  "  croAvns." 

Crown  of  Thorns.  Our  Lord  was 
croAvned  in  mockerv  bv  the  Roman  sol- 
diers. Matt.  27  :  29 ;  Mark  15  :  17  ;  John  19 : 
2.  It  is  questioned  Avhether  this  was  only 
mockeiy,  or  Avhether  it  Avas  specially  in- 
tended for  additional  torture.  Such  a  crown, 
it  is  clear,  must  have  been  made  of  some 
plant  that  Avould  readily  twist  into  a  wreath. 
The  large  -  leaved  acanthus  Avould  not : 
hardly  Avould  the  Sjyma  Christi,  as  it  is 
called,  Avith  strong  sharp  thorns.  Hassel- 
quist  imagines  the  thorn  in  question  the 
Arabian  7? m6A:,  a  very  common  plant,  "  with 
many  small  and  sharp  spines,  soft,  round, 
and  pliant  branches ;  leaves  much  resem- 
bling ivy,  of  a  verj'  deep  green,  as  if  in  de- 
signed mockerj'  of  a  victor's  Avreath." 


CRUSE 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


CYRENIUS 


Cruse.  This  word  appears  as  the  trans- 
lation of  three  Hebrew  words :  one  of  these 
occurs  in  1  Sam.  26 :  11,  12,  16 ;  1  Kings  17  : 
12,  14, 16  ;  19  : 6,  to  denote  a  vessel  used  for 
water  or  oil.  Again,  we  have  a  "  cruse  of 
honey."  1  Kings  14  :  3.  The  same  word  is 
also  rendered  "bottle."  Jer.  19  : 1, 10.  This 
must  have  been  of  earthenware,  and  had 
its  Hebrew  name  from  the  gurghng  sound 
caused  when  any  liquid  was  poured  from 
it.  The  only  other  place  in  which  our  ver- 
sion has  "  cruse  "  is  2  Kings  2  :  20.  The  orig- 
inal word  is  translated  "  dish  "  in  2  Kings 
21 :  13,  " pans"  in  2Chron.  35  :  13,  and  "  bos- 
om "  in  Prov.  19  :  24 ;  26  :  15,  A.  V.,  but  dish 
in  the  R.  V.  It  was  probably  a  metal  plat- 
ter or  dish. 

Crystal.  This  word  occurs  in  the  Com- 
mon Enghsh  Version  of  Job  28 :  17.  The  R. 
V.  reads  "glass."  The  original  term  signi- 
fies something  of  exceeding  purity.  The 
Egyptians  had  the  secret  of  introducing 
gold  between  two  surfaces  of  glass,  together 
with  various  colors.  They  could  also  en- 
amel upon  gold.  It  is  very  likely  that  a 
reference  to  some  such  work  of  art  is  in- 
tended. The  word  rendered  "crystal "in 
Ezek.  1 : 22,  is  elsewhere  "ice"  or  "frost." 
The  margin  of  the  R.  V.  reads  "ice"  here 
also.  It  IS  probably  called  "terrible"  be- 
cause of  the  bright  shining  of  such  a  sub- 
stance in  the  rays  of  the  sun,  dazzhng  and 
blinding  the  eye  that  looks  on  it.  We 
further  find  "crystal,"  the  rock  crystal,  in 
Rev.  4:6;  22 : 1 ;  also  the  epithet  crystal- 
clear  is  given  to  jasper.    Rev.  21 :  11. 

Cubit.    Gen.  6  :  15.    See  Measures. 

Cuckoo.  Lev.  11 :  16  ;  Deut.  14  :  15,  A. 
V.  A  bird  whose  flesh  was  not  to  be  eaten. 
The  cuckoo  is  known  in  Palestine;  but 
more  Ukely  some  of  the  lesser  kinds  of  sea- 
fowl  are  meant.  The  R.  V.  reads  "sea- 
mew  "  in  both  the  above  places. 

Cummin.  Matt.  23  :  23.  A  low  herb  of 
the  fennel  kind,  which  produces  aromatic 
seeds  and  is  found  in  Syria.  In  Isa.  28 :  25, 
27,  reference  is  made  to  the  manner  of  sow- 
ing and  threshing  it. 

Cup-bearer.  An  officer  of  high  dignity 
at  Eastern  courts,  as  the  butler  of  Pharaoh. 
Gen.  40 ;  41 :  9.  Cup-bearers  are  mentioned 
in  the  description  of  Solomon's  court,  1 
Kings  10  : 5 ;  and  Rabshakeh,  as  his  name 
indicates,  was  cup-bearer  to  the  king  of  As- 
syria. 2  Kings  18  :  17.  Nehemiah  held  the 
same  post  under  Artaxerxes.  Neh.  1  :  11 ; 
2  : 1.  And  it  was  not  only  an  honorable  ap- 
pointment, but  must  have  been  a  source  of 
great  emolument,  for  Nehemiah  was  evi- 
dently a  man  of  wealth.  Neh.  5  :  14-19. 
The  cup  was  washed  in  the  king's  pres- 
ence, and  when  filled,  after  the  officer  had 
tasted  a  little  of  the  wine,  which  he  poured 
into  his  left  hand,  was  presented  on  three 
fingers.  So  no  modern  Eastern  attendant 
ever  grasps  any  vessel  he  offers  to  his  mas- 
ter, but  places  it  on  his  left  hand,  and  stead- 
ies it  with  his  right. 

Cush  (ktish).  1.  A  country  near  the  Gihon, 
Gen.  2  :13  (margin  A.  V.,  and  the  text  of 
the  R.  v.).  north  of  Assyria.  2.  The  country 
peopled  by  Cush  or  the  Ethiopians,  Gen. 
10 : 6,  lying  to  the  south  of  Egypt,  on  the 


upper  Nile,  and  possibly  extending  its  rule 
into  southern  Arabia.    See  Ethiopia. 

Cymbals.  There  are  two  kinds  of  cym- 
bals, both  of  which  we  find  mentioned  in 
Ps.  150  :  5.  The  first  kind,  called  the  loud 
cymbals,  hke  castanets,  consisted  of  small 
round  plates,  two  of  which  are  held  in  each 
hand,  one  upon  the  thumb  and  the  other 
upon  the  middle  finger,  and  being  struck 
together  skilfully  make  an  agreeable  sound. 
The  second  kind,  called  the  high-sounding 
cymbals,  were  two  broad  convex  plates  of 
brass,  the  concussion  of  which  produced  a 
shrill,  piercing  sound,  hke  clattering  rather 
than  tinkhng.  1  Cor.  13  : 1.  Both  kinds 
are  in  common  use  to-day  in  the  East. 

Cypress.  R.  V.  holm  tree.  Isa.  44 :  14. 
The  Hebrew  word  indicates  a  tree  with 
hard-grained  wood,  not  the  cypress,  but 
probably  the  Syrian  juniper  which  grows 
wild  upon  Lebanon,  is  meant,  as  the  cypress 
never  does  in  the  Holy  Land.  The  latter 
tree  is  a  tall  evergreen,  the  wood  of  which 
is  heavy,  aromatic,  and  remarkably  dura- 
ble. Its  foliage  is  dark  and  gloomy,  its 
form  close  and  pyramidal,  and  it  is  usually 
planted  in  the  cemeteries  of  the  East.  Cof- 
fins were  made  of  it  in  the  East,  and  the 
mummy-cases  of  Egypt  are  found  at  this 
day  of  the  cypress  wood.  The  timber  has 
been  known  to  suffer  no  decay  by  the  lapse 
of  1100  years. 

Cyprus  (sl'pnis).  A  large  fertile  island 
of  the  Mediterranean  Sea,  triangular  in 
fonn,  150  miles  long,  and  from  50  to  60 
miles  broad.  Venus  was  its  chief  goddess 
— hence  her  name  Cypria.  It  contained 
two  prominent  cities,  Salamis  and  Paphos, 
and  17  towns.  Salamis  was  at  the  east  and 
Paphos  at  the  west  end  of  the  island.  Acts 
13 : 4,  5.  Barnabas  was  a  native  of  Cyprus, 
and  its  people  are  noticed  in  apostolic  his- 
tory. Acts  4  :  36  ;  13  :  4  ;  15  :  39.  Sergius 
Paulus,  proconsul  of  Cyprus,  was  converted 
by  Paul  on  his  first  missionary  tour.  Acts 
13  : 7  ff.,  and  thus  became  the  first  Christian 
ruler  on  record.  Cyprus  was  colonized  by 
the  Phoenicians  at  a  very  early  date.  It 
was  the  Chittim,  or  Kittim,  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament. Num.  24  :  24.  Copper  mining  and 
the  production  of  swords,  armor,  and  other 
articles  in  bronze  were  its  principal  indus- 
tries. There  was  also  an  extensive  com- 
merce. In  literature,  Cyprus  boasted  of 
very  early  distinction.  After  belonging  to 
Egypt,  Persia,  and  Greece,  it  became  a  Ro- 
man possession  58  B.  c,  and  is  now  under 
the  Enghsh  government. 

Cyrene  {sl-re'ne).  The  chief  city  of  Libya, 
in  northern  Africa.  Simon,  who  bore  our 
Saviour's  cross,  was  of  that  city.  Matt. 
27  :  32  ;  its  people  were  at  Jerusalem  during 
the  Pentecost,  and  they  had  a  synagogue 
there.  Acts  2 :  10 ;  6:9,  and  some  of  them 
became  preachers  of  the  gospel.  Acts  11 :  20  ; 
13.:  1.  Cyrene  was  destroyed  by  the  Sara- 
cens in  the  fourth  century,  and  is  now  des- 
olate. 

Cyrenius  {sl-re'ni-iis).  Luke  2  : 2,  A.  V., 
but  Quirinius  in  R.  V.  The  transliteration 
of  a  Greek  name,  which  is  itself  the  Greek 
form  of  the  Roman  name  of  Quirinius.  The 
full  name  is  PubUus  Sulpicius  Quirinius. 


CYRUS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


DAN 


He  was  consul  b.  c.  12,  and  made  governor 
of  Syria  after  the  banishment  of  Archelaus 
in  A.  D.  6.  He  was  sent  to  make  an  enrol- 
ment of  property  in  Syria,  and  made  ac- 
cordingly, both  there  and  in  Judea,  a  cen- 
sus. But  the  census  in  Luke  2  : 2  seems  to 
be  identified  with  one  which  took  place  at 
the  time  of  the  birth  of  Christ.  There  is  good 
reason  for  believing  that  Quirinius  was 
twice  governor  of  Syria,  and  that  his  first 
governorship  extended  from  b.  c.  4 — the 
year  of  Christ's  birth— to  B.  c.  1,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  ]\I.  Lollius. 

Cyrus  {sVru»),  the  sun.  In  Hebrew  Ko- 
resh,  founder  of  the  Persian  empire ;  used 
by  Jehovali  in  the  execution  of  his  designs 
of  mercy  towards  the  Jews,  as  foretold  by 
Isaiah  44  :  28;  45  : 1-7  ;  comp.  2  Chron.  36  : 
22,  23 ;  Ezra  1:1-4;  Dan.  6  :  28.  Some  sup- 
pose Cyrus  to  be  a  title  of  a  ruler,  as  Csesar 
or  Pharaoh ;  in  that  case  Isaiali  would  not 
necessarily  designate  a  particular  king,  but 
only  the  chief  ruler  of  Persia.  This  Cyrus 
was  the  son  of  Cambyses,  king  of  Persia, 
and  a  nephew  of  Darius  the  INIede  (Cyax- 
ares),  and  united  the  crowns  of  Persia'and 
Media.  He  ordered  a  return  of  the  Jews, 
who  had  been  seventy  years  in  captivity, 
to  their  own  land,  and  furnished  them 
very  hberally  with  the  means  of  rebuilding 
their  temple.  Daniel  Mved  at  his  court, 
and  was  his  favorite  minister  and  adviser. 
Dan.  6 :  28.  The  captivity  of  the  Jews, 
which  was  ended  by  the  decree  of  Cyrus, 
B.  c.  536,  ended  also  the  sin  of  idolatry  in 
the  nation. 

I> 

Daberatli  {dab'e-rcith),  the  subduer.  A 
town  on  tjie  borders  of  Issachar  and  Zebu- 
lun.    Josh.  19  :  12 ;  1  Chron.  6 :  72. 

Dagon  {dd'go7i},  flsh.  The  national  deity 
of  the  Phihstines.  There  was  a  temple 
of  Dagon  at  Gaza,  Judg.  16  :  23,  and  one 
at  Ashdod,  1  Sam.  5 :  1,  7 ;  the  latter  -was 
destroyed  by  Jonathan  Maccabfeus.  Prob- 
ably tlie  Avo'rship  of  the  male  (Dagon)  and 
feniale  (Derceto)  deities  was  conjoined 
in  the  same  sanctuary.  1  Sam.  31 :  10 ;  1 
Chron.  10 :  10.  There  are  places  called  Beth- 
dagon,  where  doubtless  this  idolatrous  wor- 
ship prevailed.  Josh  15  :  41 ;  19  :  27.  Dagon 
was  represented  with  the  face  and  hands 
of  a  human  being,  and  with  a  fishy  tail. 
Some  representations  of  a  fish-god  have 
been  discovered  among  the  Assyrian  sculp- 
tures. 

Dalnianutlia  {(lal-md'nu'thah).  A  town 
on  the  sea  of  Galilee,  near  Magdala,  in  R. 
V.  Magadan,  Mark  8  :  10 ;  Matt.  15  :  39  ; 
probably  at  'Ain-el-Barideh,  on  the  west 
side  of  the  sea,  two  miles  from  Tiberias, 
where  are  ruins. 

Dalniatia  (dal-md'sM-ah).  A  mountain- 
ous district  on  the  east  of  the  Adriatic  Sea  ; 
visited  by  Titus.    2  Tim.  4  :  10. 

Damascus  (da^mds'kus).  The  ancient 
city  of  Syria,  133  miles  northeast  of  Jerusa- 
lem. It 'is  on  a  fertile  plain,  30  miles  in 
diameter,  with  mountains  on  three  sides. 
The  plain  is  well  watered  by  the  Barada, 
64 


the  Chrysorrhoas  (or  "Golden  Stream"  of 
the  Greeks,  the  Abana  of  Scripture ;  now 
El  A'waj,  "the  Crooked"),  and  the  Phar- 
par  of  Scripture.  2  Kings  5  :  12.  The  ch- 
mate  is  delightful ;  the  nights  are  cool  and 
the  dews  heavy :  yet  the  people  sleep  on 
the  flat  roofs  of  their  houses.  Damascus  is 
called  by  the  Arabs  "the  Eye  of  the  Des- 
ert" and  the  "Pearl  of  the  East."  It  is  to 
the  Jlohammedan  the  earthly  reflection  of 
Paradise.  Travellers  have  vied  with  each 
other  in  describing  the  beauty  of  Damas- 
cus. "From  the  edge  of  the  mountain 
range,"  says  Stanley,  "you  look  down  on 
the  plain.  .  .  .  The  river  Abana  (the  Ba- 
rada), with  its  green  banks,  is  seen  at  the 
bottom  rushing  through  the  cleft :  it  bursts 
forth,  and  as  if  in  a  moment  scatters  over 
the  plain,  through  a  circle  of  30  miles,  the 
same  verdure  which  had  hitherto  been 
confined  to  its  single  channel.  .  .  .  Far  and 
wide  in  front  extends  the  level  plain,  its 
horizon  bare,  its  lines  of  surrounding  hills 
bare,  all  bare  far  away  on  the  road  to  Pal- 
myra and  Bagdad.  In  the  midst  of  this 
plain  lies  at  your  feet  the  vast  lake  or  island 
of  deep  verdure,  walnuts  and  apricots  wav- 
ing above,  corn  and  grass  below;  and  in 
the  midst  of  this  mass  of  fohage  rises,  strik- 
ing out  its  wide  arms  of  streets  hither  and 
thither,  and  its  white  minarets  above  the 
trees  which  embosom  them,  the  city  of 
Damascus.  On  the  right  towers  the  snowy 
height  of  Hermon,  overlooking  the  whole 
scene.  Close  behind  are  the  sterile  lime- 
stone mountains ;  so  that  you  can  stand 
literally  between  the  living  and  the  dead." 
Sinai  and  Palestine,  p.  410.  Damascus  has 
been  called  the  oldest  city  in  the  world. 
Josephus  says  it  was  founded  by  Uz,  a 
grandson  of  Shem ;  Abraham  visited  it, 
Gen.  14  :  15  ;  15  : 2,  A.  V.,  but  the  R.  V.  reads 
"  Dammesek  Ehezer ;  "  it  was  conquered  by 
David,  2  Sam.  8  : 5,  6 ;  was  allied  with  Is- 
rael and  against  Israel,  1  Kings  15  :  18,  20 ; 
2  Chron.  16 : 3 ;  was  taken  by  Tiglath-pile- 
ser ;  denounced  by  Jeremiah,  Jer.  49  :  27 ; 
and  afterward  seldom  noticed  in  Old  Tes- 
tament history.  It  was  surrendered  to 
Alexander  the  Great  after  the  battle  of  Is- 
sus,  B.  c.  333.  In  the  New  Testament  it  is 
noticed  as  the  place  of  the  scene  of  Paul's 
conversion,  Acts  9 : 1-25 ;  later  it  became 
the  residence  of  a  Christian  bishop;  was 
conquered  by  the  Arabs  a.  d.  635 ;  became 
a  provincial  capital  of  the  Turkish  empire, 
1516 ;  and  is  now  the  residence  of  a  Turk- 
ish governor.  It  is  the  hot-bed  of  Moham- 
medan fanaticism.  In  1860,  6000  Christians 
were  massacred  by  the  Moslems  in  cold 
blood,  in  the  city  and  adjoining  districts. 
It  has  a  population  of  from  110,000  to  150,- 
000.  The  principal  street,  known  as  Sul- 
tany,  or  Queen' s  street,  runs  in  nearly  a 
straight  line  from  east  to  west,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  be  the  same  as  the  street  called 
"Straight"  in  Acts  9: 11. 

Dan  (dan),  judge.  1.  A  son  of  Jacob  by 
his  concubine  Bilhah,  Rachel's  handmaid. 
Gen.  30  :  6  ;  35  :  25  ;  Ex.  1 : 4 ;  1  Chron.  2  : 2. 
Of  Dan's  personal  history  we  know  noth- 
ing, except  that  he  had  one  son,  Hushim 
or  Shuham.    Gen.  4-6  :  23 ;  Num.  26  :  42.   He 


DANCE 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


DANIEL,  BOOK  OF 


shared  with  his  brethren  the  prophetic 
blessing  of  Jacob,  Gen.  49  :  16, 17,  fulfilled, 
perhaps,  in  the  administration  of  Samson, 
and  in  tlie  craft  and  stratagem  which  his 
descendants  used  against  their  enemies. 
Other  explanations,  however,  have  been 
given.  Those  descendants  multiphed  large- 
ly ;  for  at  the  lirst  census  after  quitting 
Egypt  the  tribe  numbered  62,700  males 
above  20  years  of  age ;  and,  when  num- 
bered again  on  their  coming  to  Jordan, 
they  were  64,400.  Num.  1 :  88,  39 ;  26  :  42, 
43.  Moses  ere  his  death,  like  Jacob,  pro- 
nounced a  prophetic  blessing  on  the  tribe  : 
"  Dan  is  a  lion's  whelp :  he  shall  leap  from 
Bashan,"  Deut.  33  :  22,  fulfilled  in  the  preda- 
tory expeditions  of  which  one  at  least 
is  recorded  in  their  subsequent  history. 
2.  The  territory  in  Canaan  allotted  to  Dan 
was  on  the  seacoast,  west  of  Benjamin  and 
between  Ephraim  and  Judah.  It  embraced 
a  broad  plain,  14  miles  long,  near  the  sea. 
The  Amorites  kept  them  from  the  plain 
and  forced  them  into  the  mountains. 
Hence  they  had  another  portion  granted 
them,  near  Mount  Hermon,  Judg.  18,  where 
thej'  set  up  a  graven  image  stolen  from 
Micah.  3.  Dan,  city  of,  the  chief  city  of 
the  northern  district  held  by  this  tribe. 
Judg.  20  :  1.  It  was  originally  called  Laish, 
Judg.  18 :  29 ;  noted  for  idolatry,  Judg.  18:  30 ; 
now  called  Tel-el-Kady,  or  "  Mound  of  the 
Judge,"  three  miles  from  Banias,  north  of 
the  waters  of  Merom.  4.  The  Dan  of  Ezek. 
27  :  19,  R.  V.  "  Vedan,"  is  possibly  the  same 
as  No.  2,  but  some  identify  it  with  Dedar, 
others  with  Aden,  in  Arabia. 

Dance,  Dancing.  In  Eastern  nations 
the  mingling  of  the  sexes  in  the  dance  is 
seldom  if  ever  known,  although  dancing 
was  common,  as  a  rehgious  act,  and  also 
as  a  voluptuous  entertainment.  Just  as 
impassioned  language  became  "  poetry," 
and  song  broke  forth  from  the  lips,  so 
among  Oriental  peoples  the  limbs  partook 
of  the  excitement,  Ps.  35  :  10,  and  joy  was 
exhibited  in  dancing.  We  read  of  dances 
among  the  Hebrews  at  solemn  religious 
festivals.  Thus  David  danced  before  the 
Lord  at  the  bringing  up  of  the  ark  into 
Jerusalem.  2  Sam.  6  :  14.  His  wife  Michal 
reproached  him  for  dancing.  2  Sam.  16 : 
20-22.  There  were  also  dances  of  Hebrew 
women.  We  have  an  example  of  this  after 
the  passage  of  the  Red  Sea.  There  was  a 
responsive  song  of  triumph ;  the  men,  how- 
ever, are  not  said  to  have  danced,  but  the 
women  did.  Ex.  15  :  20.  Similar  were  the 
dances  that  celebrated  David's  victory  over 
Goliath,  1  Sam.  18  : 6 ;  see  also  Ps.  68 :  25 ; 
the  "timbrels"  being  musical  instruments 
invariably  accompanied  with  dancing.  The 
sexes  were  not  mixed  in  social  dances. 
Thus  it  is  evident  that  the  daughters  of 
Shiloh  were  not  accompanied  by  even  their 
male  relatives.  Judg.  21 :21.  Theirs  would 
seem  to  have  been  a  religious  festival. 
There  were  also  dances  of  mere  pleas- 
ure and  revelrj^  1  Sam.  30  :  16,  R.  V.  reads 
" feasting"  instead  of  " dancing ; "  Job  21 : 
11 ;  Jer.  31 :  4,  13  ;  Luke  15  :  25.  Of  the 
modes  or  figures  of  the  Hebrew  dance  we 
know  little ;  whether  it  was  in  a  ring,  or  I 


whether  the  performers  were  arranged  in 
more  than  one  vow.  In  the  East  at  present 
a  female  leads  the  dance  ;  and  others  fol- 
low, imitating  exactly  her  movements. 
Possibly,  double  rows,  something  similar  to 
the  country-dance,  may  be  alluded  to  in 
Sol.  Song  6  :  13 ;  where  Ginsberg  translates 
"Like  a  dance  to  double  choirs."  The 
daughter  of  Herodias  danced  alone.  Matt. 
14 :  6.  It  may  be  observed  that  a  Hebrew 
word,  mahhol,  rendered  "dance"  incur 
version,  Ps.  150 : 4,  and  elsewhere,  is  sup- 
posed by  soine  to  mean  a  musical  instru- 
ment. 

Daniel  {ddn'i-el,^  or  dnn'yel),  judgment  of 
God.  1.  A  son  of  David  by  Abigail  the 
Carmelitess.  1  Chron.  3:1.  In  2  Sam.  3  : 3 
he  is  called  Chileab.  2.  The  name  of  one 
of  "the  greater  prophets."  Nothing  is  cer- 
tainly known  of  his  parentage  or  family. 
He  appears,  however,  to  have  been  of  royal 
or  noble  des(ftnt,  Dan.  1 : 3,  and  to  have 
possessed  great  natural  talents.  Dan.  1 : 4. 
He  was  taken  to  Babylon  in  "  the  third 
year  of  Jehoiakim,"  and  trained  for  the 
king's  service.  He  and  his  companions 
resolved  to  abstain  from  the  "  king's  meat " 
for  fear  of  defilement.  Dan.  1 :  8-16.  At 
the  close  of  his  three  years'  discipline, 
Dan.  1 : 5,  18,  Daniel  had  an  opportunity  of 
exercising  his  pecuhar  gift,  Dan.  1 :  17,  of 
interpreting  dreams,  on  the  occasion  of 
Nebuchadnezzar's  decree  against  the  Magi. 
Dan.  2  :  14  ft'.  In  consequence  of  his  abil- 
ity, by  divine  assistance,  to  reveal  the  dream 
to"  the  king,  he  was  made  "  ruler  of  the 
whole  province  of  Babylon."  Dan.  2:48. 
He  afterwards  interpreted  a  second  dream 
of  Nebuchadnezzar,  Dan.  4  :  8-27,  and  the 
handwriting  on  the  wall  which  disturbed 
the  feast  of  Belshazzar.  Dan.  5  :  10-28.  At 
the  accession  of  Darius  he  was  made  "  first," 
according  to  the  A.  V.,  but  the  R.  V.  reads 
"one"  of  the  "three  presidents"  of  the 
empire,  Dan.  6  :  2,  and  was  delivered  from 
the  hon's  den,  into  which  he  had  been  east 
for  his  faithfulness  in  the  worship  of  Je- 
hovah. Dan.  6  :  10-23.  At  the  accession  of 
Cyrus  he  still  retained  his  prosperity.  Dan. 
6  :  28,  compare ;  Dan.  1 :  21,  though  he  does 
not  appear  to  have  remained  at  Babylon, 
and  in  "the  third  year  of  Cyrus"  he 
saw  his  last  recorded  vision,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tigris.  Dan.  10  : 1,  4.  In  the 
prophecies  of  Ezekiel  mention  is  made  of 
Daniel  as  a  pattern  of  righteousness,  Ezek. 
14  :  14,  20,  and  wisdom,  Ezek.  28  : 3.  The 
narrative  implies  that  Daniel  was  distin- 
guished for  purity  and  knowledge  at  a  very 
early  age.  Dan.  1 :  19.  3.  A  descendant  of 
Ithamar,  who  returned  with  Ezra.  Ezra  8  : 
2.  4.  A  priest  who  sealed  the  covenant 
drawn  up  by  Nehemiah.  Neh.  10 : 6.  He 
is  perhaps  the  same  as  No.  3. 

Daniel,  book  of.  The  book  of  Daniel 
was  not  placed  among  the  prophetical 
books  in  the  Hebrew  Bible,  but  m  the  third 
division  (writings)  and  after  the  Psalms. 
It  is  written  partly  in  Chaldaic  or  Aramaic, 
and  partly  in  the  sacred  Hebrew.  The  in- 
troduction, Dan.  1  to  2  : 4  a,  is  wiitten  in  He- 
brew. At  the  answer  of  the  Chaldseans, 
which  the  A.  V.  says  was  made  in  "  Syriac," 
65 


DARIUS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


DAVID 


the  language  changes  to  Aramaic,  and  this 
is  retained  till  the  close  of  the  seventh 
chapter  or  2  : 4  6  to  7.  The  personal  intro- 
duction of  Daniel  as  the  writer  of  the  text, 
8 : 1,  is  marked  by  a  change  of  the  language 
again  back  to  the  Hebrew,  which  continues 
to  the  close  of  the  book.  Chs.  8  to  12.  The 
book  may  be  divided  into  three  parts.  The 
first  chapter  forms  an  introduction.  The 
next  six  chapters,  2-7,  give  a  general  view 
of  the  progressive  history  of  the  powers  of 
the  world,  and  of  the  principles  of  the  di- 
vine government  as  seen  in  the  events  of 
the  life  of  Daniel.  The  remainder  of  the 
book,  chs.  8-12,  traces  in  minuter  detail  the 
fortunes  of  the  people  of  God,  as  typical  of 
the  fortunes  of  the  Church  in  all  ages.  In 
the  first  seven  chapters  Daniel  is  spoken  of 
historically ;  in  the  last  five  he  appears  per- 
sonally as  the  writer.  The  cause  of  the 
difference  of  person  is  commonly  supposed 
to  lie  in  the  nature  of  the  case.  The  New 
Testament  incidentally  acknowledges  each 
of  the  characteristic  elements  of  the  book, 
its  miracles,  Heb.  11 :  33,  34,  its  predictions, 
Matt.  24  :  If),  and  its  appearance  of  the 
angel  Gabriel,  Luke  1 :  19,  26.  Statements 
in  the  book  itself  imply  that  it  was  written 
by  Daniel,  and  this  is  confirmed  by  refer- 
ences to  it  in  the  New  Testament  and  in 
first  book  of  Maccabees.  1 :  54 ;  2  :  59,  60. 
Josephus  also  reports  that  it  was  written 
by  Daniel,  "  one  of  the  greatest  of  the 
prophets."  Antiq.  10:11.  Some  historical 
difficulties  in  the  book  have  been  removed 
by  late  discoveries,  and  as  more  light  is 
gained  respecting  the  historj'  of  this  period, 
the  external  e\idence  tends  to  support  the 
historical  claims  of  the  book. 

Darius  {da-n'iis),  restrainer.  The  name 
of  several  kings  of  Media  and  Persia  men- 
tioned in  the  Bible.  1.  Darius  the  Median, 
Dan.  5 :  31,  was  the  son  of  Ahasuerus ;  he 
took  Babylon  from  Belshazzar  the  Chal- 
dsean,  being  at  that  time  about  62  years  old. 
He  has  been  identified  with  Astyages, 
Hystaspis,  Cyaxares  II.  and  Gobryas. 
"  Only  one  year  of  the  reign  of  Darius  is 
mentioned,  Dan.  9:1;  11  : 1 ;  and  if,  as 
seems  probable,  Darius  (Astyages)  occupied 
the  throne  of  Babylon  as  supreme  sover- 
eign, Avith  Nerigalsarasser  as  vassal-prince, 
after  the  murder  of  Evil-merodach  (Bel- 
shazzar), B.  c.  559,  one  year  only  remains  for 
this  Median  supremacy  before  its  over- 
throw by  Cyrus,  B.  c.  558,  in  exact  accord- 
ance with  the  notices  in  Daniel."  Under 
him  Daniel  was  advanced  to  the  highest 
dignity,  which  exposed  him  to  the  maUce 
of  enemies  and  led  to  his  being  cast  into 
the  den  of  hons,  but  by  a  miracle  he  escaped 
injury.  2.  Darius,  the  son  of  Hystaspes,  the 
founder  of  the  Perso-Arvan  dVnastv,  and 
ruler,  b.  c.  521-486.  Ezra  4  :  5,  24  ;  Hag.  1 : 
1,  15 ;  Zech.  1 : 1,  7  ;  7  : 1.  He  found  in  the 
palace  at  Achmetha  or  Ecbatana,  the  cap- 
ital of  Cyrus,  a  decree  of  that  king  con- 
cerning the  temple  in  Jerusalem.  This  he 
confirmed,  and  the  temple  was  finished  in 
four  years,  B.  c.  516.  Ezra  6  :  15.  It  may, 
however,  have  been  used  before  it  Mas  en- 
tirely completed,  as  is  inferred  from  Zech. 
7: 2,"  3.    3.  Dariiis  the  Persian,  mentioned 


in  Neh.  12  :  22,  is  generally  identified  with 
Darius  Codornaunus,  the  antagonist  of 
Alexander  the  Great,  who  ascended  the 
throne  b.  c.  336,  and  reigned  until  B.  c.  380. 
He  was  the  last  Persian  monarch,  and  was 
killed  by  his  own  generals.  Alexander 
defeated  him,  and  thus  the  prophecy  of 
Daniel,  Dan.  8,  was  fulfilled. 

Dathan  {da/than).    See  Korali. 

David  {da'vid),  beloved.  The  great  king 
of  Israel.  He  was  the  eighth  and  youngest 
son  of  Jesse,  of  Bethlehem  and  of  the  tribe 
of  Judah.  Six  of  his  brothers  are  named 
in  Scripture,  1  Chron.  2  :  13-15 ;  of  the  other, 
we  know  only  the  fact  of  his  existence,  1 
Sam.  17  :  12  ;  and  it  is  needless  to  mention 
the  conjectures  which  have  been  formed  of 
him.  David  had  also  two  sisters.  1  Chron. 
2 :  16,  17.  His  mother's  name  is  not  re- 
corded, unless,  as  some  have  believed,  she 
was  the  Nahash  of  2  Sam.  17  :  25.  When  the 
Lord,  because  of  the  ungodly  conduct  of 
Saul,  had  determined  to  choose  another 
king,  Samuel  was  directed  to  go  to  Beth- 
lehem :  and  from  the  sons  of  Jesse  anoint 
another  as  king  over  Israel.  Dean  Stanley 
thus  describes  David's  appearance  and 
physique  as  he  stood  before  Samuel:  "He 
was  short  of  stature,  had  red  hair  and  bright 
eyes.  He  was  remarkable  for  the  grace  of 
his  figure  and  countenance,  well  made,  and 
of  immense  strength  and  agihty.  In  swift- 
ness and  activity  he  could  only  be  com- 
pared to  a  wild  gazelle,  with  feet  like  harts' 
feet,  with  arms  strong  enough  to  break  a 
bow  of  steel  or  bend  a  bow  of  brass."  R.  V. 
Ps.  18  :  33,  34.  Samuel  anointed  David  "in 
the  midst  of  his  brethren,"  1  Sam.  16:13; 
and  the  Spirit  of  God  was  from  that  day 
specially  upon  him.  David  returned  to  the 
care  of  "his  flocks.  Such  education  as  the 
times  afforded  he  doubtless  had,  and 
God's  law  was  his  study.  He  had  poetic 
genius,  too;  and  music  was  his  delight. 
When  Saul,  afflicted  now  with  that  black 
spirit  of  melancholy  which  his  sins  had 
justly  brought  upon  him,  might,  it  was 
thought,  be  soothed  by  a  minstrel's  music, 
David  took  his  harp  to  the  palace ;  and  his 
music  calmed  Saul's  distemper;  and  Saul 
was  gratified  and  became  attached  to  his 
skilful  attendant.  David  was  not  indeed 
altogether  removed  from  home.  He  went 
backwards  and  forwards,  as  the  king's  dark 
hour  was  upon  him,  and  his  services  were 
needed.  In  1  Sam.  16 :  21  it  is  said  that 
Saul  made  David  his  armor-bearer.  And 
this  has  puzzled  commentators  exceed- 
ingly. For  it  then  would  have  been  strange 
if  neither  Saul  nor  any  one  about  his  per- 
son had  recognized  David  when  he  came, 
as  we  find  in  the  next  chapter,  to  accept 
Goliath's  challenge.  And  so  all  sorts  of 
devices  have  been  contrived  to  get  the  his- 
tory into  chronological  order ;  some  imagin- 
ing that  the  fight  with  the  Phihstine  was 
before  Da%ad  was  attached  to  Saul  as  the 
minstrel.  David  offers  to  engage  Gohath  : 
but  Saul  doubts  M'hether  ihe  young  man 
was  equal  to  such  a  perilous  encounter; 
and  David  of  course  makes  no  allusion  to 
his  having  previously  stood  before  the  king. 
Had  it  come  out  then  that  he  was  but  the 


DAVID 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


DAVID 


minstrel,  the  discovery  would  have  been 
enough  to  prevent  his  being  allowed  the 
combat :  he  tells,  therefore,  how  he  killed 
the  lion  and  the  bear ;  and  his  evident  en- 
thusiasm wrings  a  consent  from  Saul  that 
he  shall  go  to  battle.  Saul  accordingly  arms 
him— not  with  his  own  personal  armor,  as 
some  have  not  very  wisely  supposed :  the 
stalwart  king  would  have  known  better 
than  to  encumber  the  stripling  with  his 
own  coat  of  mail— but  with  weapons- 
plenty  were  no  doubt  in  the  royal  tent- 
more  suited  to  his  size.  With  tliese,  how- 
ever, unaccustomed  as  he  was  to  such  har- 
ness (an  additional  proof  that  he  had  never 
yet  been  Saul's  armor-bearer),  David  refuses 
to  go.  He  will  rather  take  his  shepherd's 
shng,  and  choose  liim  out  pebbles  from  the 
brook.  David  was  successful;  the  huge 
Philistine  fell ;  and  the  Israelitish  troops 
pealed  out  their  shouts  of  victory.  Then 
Abiier  was  willing  to  appear  as  a  patron, 
and  took  the  conqueror  to  Saul.  And,  in 
answer  to  the  king's  query,  David  replies, 
"  I  am  the  son  of  thy  servant  Jesse  the  Beth- 
lehemite,  1  Sam.  17  :  58,  adopting  the  style 
by  which  he  was  first  named  to  the  king. 
1  Sam.  16  :  18.  He  is  now  fully  recognized, 
found  both  a  skilful  musician  and  a  vaUant 
soldier,  and  attains  the  position  mentioned 
before.  1  Sam.  16 :  21.  Saul  loves  him,  and 
makes  him  his  armor-bearer,  and  sends  a 
second  message  to  Jesse,  1  Sam.  16 :  22, 
which,  if  not  explained  in  this  way,  would 
seem  unnecessary.  See  1  Sam.  16 :  19.  Da^dd 
is  now  established  in  the  king's  favor  :  he 
Is  specially  beloved  by  Jonathan ;  he  is  set 
over  the  men  of  war,  1  Sam.  18  : 5,  perhaps 
made  captain  of  the  body-guard,  and  em- 
ployed in  various  services  the  rest  of  the 
campaign;  by  which  his  popularity  was 
increased.  But  the  king's  mind  began  ere 
long  to  change.  The  rejoicings  at  the  re- 
establishment  of  peace  provoked  his  jeal- 
ousy. For  the  chief  praise  in  the  songs  of 
the  women  was  given  to  David.  1  Sam. 
18:6-9.  And  speedily  the  evil  spirit  re- 
sumed his  sway.  David  did  not  then  re- 
fuse to  take  up  again  his  harp ;  though  once 
or  twice  the  maddened  king  strove  to  kill 
him  with  his  javelin,  and,  because  he  could 
no  longer  bear  hfs  constant  presence,  re- 
moved him  from  the  body-guard  to  a  sepa- 
rate command.  1  Sam.  18  :  13.  After  he  had 
married  Saul's  younger  daughter  Michal, 
instead  of  the  elder  Merab,  who  had  been 
promised  him,  Saul,  further  enraged  by 
David's  increasing  credit  with  the  nation, 
and  understanding,  it  is  likely,  by  this  time, 
that  the  young  Bethlehemite  was  the 
chosen  of  the  Lord,  to  whom  the  kingdom 
was  to  be  transferred,  sent  to  arrest  him  in 
his  house.  By  Michal's  stratagem  he  es- 
caped, and  fled  to  Samuel  at  Naioth  in 
Ramah.  Hither,  however,  he  was  followed, 
1  Sam.  19,  and  again  he  fled  ;  his  stay  with 
Samuel,  whom  he  had  perhaps  not  seen 
since  the  anointing,  being  in  all  probabilitv 
not  longer  than  a  day  or  two.  Convinced 
by  an  interview  with  Jonathan  that  Saul's 
enmity  was  no  mere  transient  passion,  1 
Sam.  20,  David  went  to  Nob,  where  his 
duplicity  cost  the  high  priest  his  life,  and 


thence  to  Achish,  king  of  Gath,  where,  to 
escape  the  jealousy  of  the  PliiUstines,  he 
simulated  madness.  1  Sam.  21.  Returning 
into  Judah,  he  gathered  a  band  of  men,  and 
maintained  himself  sometimes  in  the  wil- 
derness, sometimes  hiding  in  caves,  some- 
times occupying  a  town,  as  Keilah.  His 
father  and  mother  he  had  placed  with  the 
king  of  Moab,  1  Sam.  22:3;  and  he  had 
now  the  presence  of  the  prophet  Gad.  1 
Sam.  22  : 5.  At  Keilah,  too,  Abiathar,  be- 
come high  priest  on  his  father's  murder, 
joined  him,  1  Sam.  22 :  20  ;  23  : 4,  and  various 
warriors :  eleven  Gadite  chiefs  are  particu- 
larly specified,  and  some  of  Judah  and 
Benjamin.  1  Chi-on.  12  : 8-18.  To  this  period 
belong  the  circumstances  narrated  in  the 
concluding  chapters  of  the  first  book  of 
Samuel— the  adventure  with  Nabal,  and 
David's  marriage  with  Abigail ;  his  twice 
sparing  Saul's  life;  perhaps  the  battle  for 
the  water  of  the  well  of  Bethlehem,  1  Chron. 
11 : 1-5-19 ;  and  also  the  residence  with 
Achish,  who  gave  .him  Ziklag.  David's 
conduct  at  this  time  cannot  be  justified. 
He  laid  waste  the  country  of  PhiUstine 
alUes,  and  pretended  that  he  had  destroyed 
only  the  tribes  dependent  upon  Judah  ;  and 
he  joined  Achish's  army  when  marching 
to  the  battle  of  Gilboa.  Here  he  was  rein- 
forced by  some  Manassites,  1  Chron.  12  :  19, 
20,  but  was  dismissed  from  the  expedition 
through  the  renewed  jealousy  of  the  Phil- 
istine lords.  He  returned,  therefore,  to 
Ziklag,  to  find  it  plundered  and  burnt. 
However,  he  recovered  what  was  lost,  and 
obtained  greater  spoil,  which  he  politicly 
sent  to  his  friends  in  Judah,  and,  on  the 
news  of  Saul's  defeat  and  death  just  after, 
he  repaired,  by  God's  direction,  to  Hebron, 
and  was  anointed  king.  2  Sam.  2  : 2-4.  He 
reigned  as  yet  over  only  a  part  of  the  na- 
tion; for  Abner  established  Ish-bosheth, 
Saul's  son,  on  the  west  of  the  Jordan,  and 
over  Israel  generally.  But  gradually  the 
tribes  were  flocking' to  David,  1  Chron.  12  : 
23-40 ;  and  Saul's  house  was  weakening 
as  he  was  strengthened ;  till  at  length 
Abner  himself  came  with  a  proposal  to 
transfer  to  him  the  whole  kingdom.  2  Sam. 
3.  But  Abner  Avas  murdered  by  Joab,  Da- 
\dd's  nephew  and  commander-in-chief,  a 
man  too  powerful  to  be  punished ;  and 
shortly  after  Ish-bosheth  was  assassinated 
by  two  of  his  officers ;  and  then  the  nation 
was  reunited ;  and  David  reigned  over  the 
kingdom  of  Israel ;  seven  years  and  six 
months  having  elapsed  since  he  had  taken 
the  crown  of  Judah.  2  Sam.  4:5.  He  was 
now  "  one  of  the  great  men  of  the  earth." 
2  Sam.  7:9.  He  consohdated  his  power  at 
home,  took  Jerusalem  and  made  it  his  cap- 
ital, removing  thither  the  ark  of  God,  2 
Sam.  6,  organized  his  army,  1  Chron.  11, 
and  regulated  the  services  of  the  sanctuarj^ 
15  ;  16,  enlarged  his  harem,  2  .Sam.  3 : 2-5  ; 
5  :  13-16,  opened  commercial  intercourse 
with  the  king  of  Tyre,  2  Sam.  5  :  11,  and 
also  extended  his  power  abroad,  subdmng 
the  Phihstines,  Syrians,  Moabites,  and  Am- 
monites. His  dominion  was  an  empire,  ex- 
tending far  as  the  large  promise  made  orig- 
inally to  Abraham,  and  repeated  again  a.nd 
67 


DAY 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


DEACON 


again  to  the  chosen  people.  Gen.  15:18- 
21 ;  Ex.  23  :  31 ;  Deut.  11 :  24.  He  had  lin- 
gered at  Jerusalem,  while  Joab  was  besieg- 
ing Rahbali  of  the  children  of  Ammon. 
And  then  occurred  those  shameful  deeds, 
the  adultery  with  Bath-sheba,  and  the 
murder  of  Uriah,  which  at  first,  it  seems, 
did  not  toucli  his  conscience,  but  which, 
when  charged  home  upon  him  by  the 
propliet  Nathan,  humbled  the  guilty 
monarch  in  the  dust.  2  Sam.  11 ;  12.  He 
repented  deeply,  see  Ps.  51,  which  is  as- 
cribed to  this  period,  and  he  obtained  par- 
don by  God's  mercy.  But  he  was  not  again 
the  David  of  former  days.  The  sword  was 
never  to  depart  from  his  house.  2  Sam.  12 : 
10.  And  it  never  did.  There  was  the  de- 
filement of  Tamar,  and  the  murder  of  his 
first-born  Amnon,  2  Sam.  13 ;  and  then  Ab- 
salom's unnatural  rebellion  and  death,  2 
Sam.  15 ;  18 ;  and  Sheba's  insurrection,  2 
Sam.  20 ;  and  the  plague  for  the  numbering 
of  the  people,  2  Sam.  24 ;  and  Adonijah's 
seizure  of  the  go^•emment,  when  the 
most  long-tried  counsellors  of  Da^ad  de- 
serted him,  a  movement  that  could  be 
crushed  only  by  the  aged  monarch's  de- 
volving his  crown  upon  Solomon,  1  Kings 
1 ;  with  various  other  griefs.  He  transmit- 
ted a  magnificent  heritage  to  Solomon,  to 
whom  he  left  the  carrjdng  out  of  that  pur- 
pose he  had  long  before  conceived,  2  Sam. 
7 ;  1  Chron.  28  ;  29,  of  erecting  a  temple.  Da- 
vid's character  is  clearly  shown  in  the 
events  of  his  hfe — whose  strains  of  inspired 
song  intertwine  with  all  the  devotional 
and  joyful  feelings  of  God's  people  in  every 
age.  The  Psalms  are  a  rich  heritage  to  the 
church.  Very  many  were  from  David's 
pen.  And,  though  we  cannot  with  preci- 
sion point  out  all  he  wrote,  or  describe  the 
times  and  circumstances  under  which  those 
were  penned  that  we  know  did  come  from 
him,  yet  we  dehght  to  couple  particular 
compositions  with  various  crises  of  David's 
life— as  Ps.  42  with  his  flight  across  the  Jor- 
dan in  Absalom's  rebelhon ;  Ps.  24  with  the 
bringing  up  of  the  ark  to  Jerusalem ;  Ps. 
18  with  David's  deUverance  from  his  ene- 
mies, and  to  see  his  emotions  of  praise,  and 
hope,  and  repentance,  and  gratitude,  and 
faith,  at  the  wonderful  deahngs  of  God 
with  him.  Of  the  children  of  David  many 
are  mentioned  in  Scripture  ;  and  there  were 
probably  more ;  twenty -one  sons  are  enu- 
merated and  one  daughter.  2  Sam.  3  : 2-5  ; 
5 :  13-16 ;  12  ;  15,  24 ;  1  Chron.  3 : 1-9 ;  14 : 3-7  ; 
2  Chron.  11 :  18. 

Day.  The  Hebrews,  probably,  from  the 
narrative  of  creation.  Gen.  1:5;  see  Dan. 
8  :  14,  marg.,  began  their  day  at  sunset. 
Lev.  23 :  32.  Their  divisions  of  the  day  ap- 
pear to  have  been  in  early  times  very  inar- 
tificial. Thus  we  read  of  a  distribution 
into  three  parts — evening,  morning,  and 
noon.  Ps.  .55 :  17.  The  first  mention  of  an 
hour  is  by  the  prophet  Daniel,  Dan.  3 : 6, 15 ; 
4  :  19,  "  for  a  while,"  R.  V. ;  5:5;  probably, 
then,  the  reckoning  of  the  twelve  hours  of 
the  day  was  borrowed  from  the  Chaldeans. 
In  New  Testament  times  it  was  a  well  un- 
derstood distribution  of  time.  John  11 : 9. 
These  twelve  hours,  extending  from  sun- 


rise to  sunset,  were,  of  course,  of  variable 
length.  The  variation  is  not,  however,  so 
much  as  it  would  be  in  our  latitude ;  and, 
the  sixth  hour  being  noon,  the  third  may 
be  roughly  said  to  be  ovu:  nine  in  the  morn- 
ing, the  ninth  three  in  the  afternoon.  The 
nights  were  divided  into  watches,  at  first 
three,  afterwards  four.  The  word  "day" 
is  used  in  various  senses,  sometimes  for  a 
festal  or  birthday,  Job  3:1;  sometimes  for 
the  great  day  of  God's  judgment.  Acts  17  : 
31 ;  2  Tim.  1 :  18.  The  meaning  is  some- 
times indefinite,  as  it  is  with  us,  Gen.  2:4; 
and  according  to  .some  the  "days"  of  crea- 
tion. Gen.  1 : 5,  8,  13, 19,  23,  31,  indicate  not 
natural  days,  but  long  periods  of  time. 
Day  is  also  used  symbohcally.  Num.  14  :  34 ; 
and  sharp  contests  there  are  among  inter- 
preters of  prophecv  whether  the  days  of 
Dan.  12 :  11,  12  ;  Rev.  11 : 3,  9  do  not  mean 
years. 

Deacon.  The  name  of  an  office-bearer 
in  the  Christian  church.  It  is  generally 
connected  with  the  appointment  of  the 
seven  who  were  to  reheve  the  apostles  in 
the  "  daily  ministration,"  the  distribution 
of  the  funds,  and  of  provision  for  the  mem- 
bers of  the  early  church.  Acts  6  : 1-6.  The 
special  name  of  deacon  is  not,  however, 
given  to  the  seven ;  the  order  called  dea- 
cons was  subsequently  established,  and 
founded  upon  or  in  imitation  of  the  olfice 
committed  to  the  seven.  See  Alford,  The 
Greek  Test,  note  on  Acts  6:5.  It  has  indeed 
been  suggested  that  there  was  already  a 
class  called  "the  young  men,"  which  was 
the  prototype  of  the  diaconate.  Acts  5  : 
6,  10.  Different  Greek  Avords  are  used, 
however,  in  the  two  verses  just  referred  to, 
and  the  specific  duties  of  the  two  classes  do 
not  closely  resemble  each  other.  The 
Greek  word  for  deacon  often  is  used  to  in- 
dicate any  person  ministering  in  God's  ser- 
vice. Thus  it  designates  our  Lord  himself, 
Rom.  15 : 8  ;  and  Paul  describes  by  it  his 
own  position,  2  Cor.  6:4;  Eph.  3:7;  Col.  1 : 
23  ;  in  all  which  places  it  is  translated 
"  minister."  Then  it  began  to  be  used  of  a 
particular  order  in  the  church.  Phil.  1:1; 
1  Tim.  3,  8-10, 12,  13.  The  quahfications  of 
deacons  are  described ;  from  which  in  some 
measure  their  duties  may  be  deduced.  They 
were  to  hold  a  certain  authority,  and  to 
show  themselves  patterns  to  believers. 
They  were  to  be  pure  in  faith  ;  but  it  is  not 
required,  as  it  is  of  the  bishop  or  overseer, 
that  they  should  be  "  apt  to  teach."  The 
inference  undoubtedly  is  that,  even  if 
there  were  exceptions,  teaching  was  not  an 
ordinary  part  of  the  deacon's  duties.  Some 
of  the '  seven,  however,  certainly  joined 
teaching  with  the  more  secular  "daily 
ministration."  And  though  Paul  does  not 
affirm  that  it  was  part  of  a  deacon's  duty, 
his  words  constitute  no  proof  that  it  was 
not.  It  has  been  questioned  whether  the 
diaconate  was  originally  a  step  to  a  higher 
ecclesiastical  office ;  and  different  interpre- 
tations have  been  given  of  1  Tim.  3  :  13.  It 
seems  natural  to  understand  that  the  honor 
there  mentioned  was  gained  in  the  position 
of  deacon,  and  not  in  promotion  to  another 
office.  Generally  speaking,  too,  permanence 


DEACONESS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


DESERT 


in  the  diaconate  seems  to  have  beeu  the 
rule  in  primitive  times. 

Deaconess.  Mention  is  made,  Rom.  16 : 
1,  of  a  "servant"  (Greek  diakona)  of  the 
church  of  Cenchrea ;  and  notices  are  scat- 
tered through  several  of  Paul's  epistles  of 
women  who  were  engaged  in  Christian 
ministrations.     Rom.  16  :  3,  12 ;  Pliil.  4  :  2, 

3  ;  1  Tim.  3 :  11 ;  5  :  9,  10 ;  Tit.  2  :  3,  4.  If 
these  texts  do  not  refer  to  a  distinct  class, 
they  seem  to  indicate  the  beginnings  of 
Buch  a  class.  And  it  is  certain  that,  a  few 
years  later,  deaconesses  were  a  recognized 
body.  PUny,  in  his  famous  letter  to  Tra- 
jan, Ub.  10,  ep.  97,  speaks  of  two  whom  he 
put  to  the  torture,  in  order  to  extract  in- 
formation from  them  respecting  the  Chris- 
tians; and  ecclesiastical  writers  from  a  very 
early  date  frequently  refer  to  them. 

Dead  Sea.    See  Salt  Sea. 

HeWividr'hir),  amnHnanj.  1.  A  town  m 
the  mountains  of  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  49,  one 
of  a  group  of  eleven  cities  to  the  west  of 
Hebron.  The  earher  name  of  Debir  was 
Kirjath-sepher,  "  city  of  book,"  Josh.  15 : 
15;  Judg.  1:11,  and  Kirjath-sannah,  "city 
of  palm,"  Josh.  15  :  49.  It  was  one  of  the 
cities  given  with  their  "  suburbs "  to  the 
priests.  Josh.  21 :  15 ;  1  Chron.  6  :  58.  Debir 
has  not  been  discovered  with  certainty  in 
modern  times.  2.  A  town  east  of  the  Jor- 
dan, on  the  northern  border  of  Gad,  and 
not  far  from  Mahanaim.  Josh.  13 :  26.  Some 
suppose  it  to  be  the  rame  with  Lodebar. 

3.  A  place  on  the  northern  border  of  Ju- 
dah, behind  Jericho.  Some  connect  it  with 
the  wady  Dahor,  which  falls  into  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  Dead  Sea.     Josh.  15 : 7. 

4.  One  of  the  five  kings  hanged  by  Joshua. 
Josh.  10 :  o,  23,  26. 

Deborah  {dlVo-rah),  a  bee.  1.  The  nurse 
of  Rebekah,  and  her  companion  into  Ca- 
naan. Gen.  24 :  59.  She  was  buried  at 
Bethel,  under  the  "  oak  of  weeping."  Gen. 
35:8.  Nurses  held  an  honorable  place  in 
early  times  in  the  East,  where  they  were 
important  members  of  the  family.  2  Kings 
11 : 2 ;  2  Chron.  22 :  11.  2.  A  prophetess,  the 
wife  of  Lapidoth,  who  judged  Israel.  She 
dwelt  under,  i.  e.,  had  a  tent  pitched  be- 
neath, a  noted  tree ;  a  palm  tree  it  is  called, 
and  miay  have  been  at  Baal-tamar,  Judg. 
20  :  33,  or  not  far  distant  from  the  tree  un- 
der which  the  first  Deborah  was  buried. 
Deborah  incited  Barak  to  deliver  his  peo- 
ple from  the  oppression  of  Jabin ;  at  his 
desire  accompanied  him,  though  with  a 
rebuke,  and  after  the  victory  uttered  a  tri- 
umphal song  of  praise.    Judg.  4 : 5. 

Decapolis  {de-Mp'o-lls),  ten  cities.  A  re- 
gion noticed  three  times  in  the  Bible.  Matt. 

4  :  25 ;  Mark  5  :  20 ;  7  :  31.  It  lay  near  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  probably  on  both  sides  of 
the  Jordan.  The  cities  were  rebuilt  by  the 
Romans  about  b.  c.  65 ;  but  as  other  cities 
grew  up,  writers  are  not  agreed  as  to  the 
names  of  the  ten  cities.  Pliny  gives  them 
as  follows:  Scythopohs,  Hippos,  Gadara, 
Pella,  Philadelphia,  Gerasa,  Dion,  Canatha, 
Raphana,  Damascus.  Six  are  deserted,  and 
none  have  many  inhabitants  except  Da- 
mascus. 

lyedau  {de'dan).    1.  A  grandson  of  Cush, 


Gen.  10 : 7,  and  the  name  of  a  people,  with 
a  region  of  like  name.  1  Chron.  1 : 9.  De- 
dan  is  thought  to  be  the  same  as  Daden,  an 
island  of  the  Persian  Gulf .  the  inhabitants 
were  noted  merchants.  Ezek.  27  :  15 ;  38  : 
13.  2.  A  people  of  northern  Arabia,  de- 
scended from  Dedan,  a  descendant  of  Abra- 
ham and  Keturah.  Gen.  25 : 3 ;  1  Chron.  1 : 
32  ;  Jer.  49  : 8 :  25  :  23 :  Ezek.  25  :  13.  The 
descendants  of  this  Dedan  Uved  near  Idu- 
msea.  Jer.  49 :  8.  It  is  not  certain,  but 
probable  that  the  Cushite  tribe  engaged 
more  extensively  in  trade.  The  "  travel- 
ling companies"  of  Dedanim,  A.  V.  plu- 
ral of  Dedan,  R.  V.  "  Dedanites,"  are  no- 
ticed in  Isa.  21 :  13.  They  are  also  named 
with  the  merchants  of  Tarshish  byEzekiel, 
38  :  13,  and  were  celebrated  from  their  trade 
with  the  Phoenicians. 

Degrees,  Songs  of.  Fifteen  psalms, 
120-134,  are  so  entitled.  A  variety  of  rea- 
sons has  been  suggested  to  account  for 
this.  The  Jews  beheve  that  they  were  sung 
bv  the  Levites  on  the  fifteen  steps  which 
separated  the  men'  s  court  from  the  wo- 
men's in  the  temple.  Gesenius  suggested 
that  there  was  a  progression  in  the  thought 
and  phraseology :  the  last  member  of  a 
verse  or  part  of  it  being  taken  up,  repeated, 
and  amphfied  in  the  next  verse,  thus : 
"  I  will  hft  up  mine  eyes  tmto  the  hills, 

From  whence  cometh  my  help. 

My  help  cometh  from  the  Lord, 

Which  made  heaven  and  earth." 

— Ps.  121 : 1,  2. 
But  this  structure  cannot  be  detected  in  all 
of  them.  Hengstenberg  and  others  beheve 
that  they  were  "pilgrim-songs,"  chanted 
by  those  who  went  up  to  Jerusalem  at  the 
solemn  feasts. 

Delilah  {de-lVlah,  or  del'i-lah),  pining  mth 
desire.  A  harlot  of  the  valley  of  Sorek,  in 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  near  the  borders  of 
the  Philistines,  with  whom  Samson  asso- 
ciated and  who  betrayed  him.  Judg.  16 : 
4-18.    See  Samson. 

D  e  in  a  s  (de'mas).  Probably  contracted 
from  Demetrius.  A  companion  of  Paul  dur- 
ing his  first  imprisonment  at  Rome.  Col.  4 : 
14 ;  Philem.  24.  The  mournful  note  is  sub- 
sequently made  that  he  had  forsaken  the 
apostle,  "  having  loved  this  present  world." 
2  Tim.  4:10.  Whether  this  meant  actual 
apostasy  we  know  not. 

Demetrius  {de-me'tri-us),  helonginri  to  De- 
meter  or  Ceres.  1.  Amakerof  silver  shrines 
— models  of  the  great  temple— of  Diana  or 
Artemis  at  Ephesus.  Acts  19  :  24.  2.  A 
Christian  mentioned  with  commendation 
by  John.    3  John  12. 

Derhe  (der'be).  A  city  of  Lycaonia, 
Acts  14 :  6,  20 ;  16  : 1,  about  20  miles  from 
Lystra.  Kiepert  places  it  near  Lake  Ak- 
Ghieul,  but  some  modern  missionaries  place 
it  at  JJivl^,  several  miles  farther  south. 

Desert.  In  the  Scriptures  this  term  does 
not  mean  an  utterly  barren  waste,  but  an 
uninhabited  region.  The  Hebrew  words 
translated  in  the  English  Versions  by 
"desert"  often  denote  definite  localities. 
1.  Arabah.  This  refers  to  that  very  de- 
pressed region— the  deepest  valley  in  the 
world— the  sunken  valley  north  and  south 
69 


DEUTERONOMY 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


DIAL 


of  the  Dead.  Sea,  but  more  particularly  the 
former,  Arabah  in  the  sense  of  the  Jordan 
valley  is  translated  by  the  word  "desert" 
only  in  Ezek.  47  : 8  A.  V.  The  R.  V.  reads 
Arabah.  2.  Midbar.  This  Hebrew  word,  fre- 
quently rendered  "  desert,"  R.  V.  "  wilder- 
ness," is  accurately  "  the  pasture  ground." 
It  is  most  frequently  used  for  those  tracts 
of  waste  land  which  Ue  beyond  the  culti- 
vated ground  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood of  the  towns  and  villages  of  Palestine. 
Ex.  3 : 1 ;  5 : 3 ;  19  :  2.  3.  Charbah  appears 
to  mean  dryness,  and  thence  desolation.  It 
is  rendered  "desert "in  Ps.  102:6,  R.  V. 
"  waste  places,"  Isa.  48  :  21 ;  Ezek.  13  : 4,  R. 
V.  "  waste  places."  The  term  commonly 
employed  for  it  in  the  Authorized  Version 
is  "waste places "  or  " desolation."  4.  Jesh- 
imon,  with  the  definite  article,  apparently 
denotes  the  waste  regions  on  both  sides  of 
the  Dead  Sea.  In  all  these  cases  it  is  treated 
as  a  proper  name  in  the  Authorized  Ver- 
sion. Without  the  article  it  occurs  in  a  few 
passages  of  poetry,  in  the  following  of 
which  it  is  rendered  "  desert : "  Ps.  78  :  40  ; 
106  :  14  ;  Isa.  43 :  19,  20. 

Deuteronomy  {deu'ter-dn'o-my),  or  the 
Second  Law  (so  called  from  its  repeating 
the  law),  is  the  fifth  book  of  the  Bible,  and, 
except  the  last  chapter,  was  probably  writ- 
ten by  Moses.  Deut.  1 : 5,  comp.  with  Deut. 
34  : 1 ;  2  Chron.  25 : 4 ;  Dan.  9 :  13  ;  i\Iark  12  : 
19 ;  Acts  3 :  22.  This  book  contains  three  ad- 
dresses of  Moses  to  the  Israelites  in  the 
plain  of  Moab  in  the  11th  month  of  the 
40th  year  of  their  joumeyings.  The  first 
address,  1 : 1 — 4  :  40,  is  a  brief  rehearsal  of 
the  history  of  the  "  Wandering,"  and  plea 
to  obedience.  The  seco7id  address,  5 : 1—26 : 
19,  contains  a  recapitulation,  with  a  few 
additions  and  alterations,  of  the  law  given 
on  Sinai.  The  third  part  of  Deuteronomy, 
27  : 1—30  :  20,  opens  with  the  joint  command 
ofMoses  and  the  elders  to  keep  all  the  com- 
mandments, and,  when  they  had  crossed 
the  Jordan,  to  write  them  upon  the  great 
plastered  stones  they  were  ordered  to  set 
up  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  Then  fol- 
lows the  third  address,  27  :  11—30 :  20,  whose 
topicis,  "The  blessing  and  the  cui-se."  After 
these  three  addresses,  in  chapter  31  there 
follows  the  dehvery  of  the  laAv  to  Joshua 
and  Moses'  speech  on  the  occasion,  con- 
taining a  command  to  read  the  law  every 
seven  years.  In  chapter  32  we  have  the 
song  of  Moses ;  in  chapter  33  Moses'  bless- 
ing of  the  twelve  tribes.  These  were  the 
last  written  words  of  Moses,  and  most  beau- 
tifully do  they  set  forth  the  majesty  of  God 
and  the  excellency  of  Israel.  The  final 
verses  of  the  book  give  an  account  of  the 
death  of  Moses,  and  were,  of  course,  writ- 
ten by  another  hand. 

Devil,  slanderer.  A  name  given  to  the 
greatest  of  evil  spirits.  He  is  so  called  34 
times  in  the  Scriptures.  He  is  called  Satan 
39  times ;  Beelzebub,  the  prince  of  the  de- 
mons, 7  times.  Matt.  12  :  24.  He  is  called 
the  angel  of  the  bottomless  pit,  Abaddon, 
in  Hebrew ;  Apollyon,  in  Greek ;  that  is, 
destroyer,  Rev.  9  :  11 ;  adversary,  1  Pet.  5  : 
8  •,  accuser,  Rev.  12  :  10 ;  BeUal!  Judg.  19  : 
22 ;  2  Cor.  6 :  15 ;  deceiver,  Rev.  12  : 9,  R.  V. ; 


dragon,  Rev.  12  : 7 ;  20  : 2 ;  the  god  of  this 
world,  2  Cor.  4:4;  the  evil  one,  from 
whom,  in  the  Lord's  prayer,  we  are  to  pray 
to  be  delivered,  Matt.  6  :  13;  13  :  19,  38; 
Luke  11 : 4,  A.  V. ;  Eph.  6  :  16  ;  1  John  2  :  13, 
14 ;  3  :  10, 12 ;  liar,  John  8 :  44  ;  Lucifer,  Isa. 
14:12,  A.  v.,  but  R.  V.  reads  day  star; 
murderer,  John  8  :  44 ;  prince  of  the  power 
of  the  air,  Eph.  2:2;  prince  of  this  world, 
John  12  :  31 ;  serpent,  Gen.  3:1-4;  Rev.  12 : 
9  ;  20  : 2 ;  a  sinner  from  the  beginning,  1 
John  3:8.  From  the  beginning  of  the 
world  the  devil  has  had  a  hand,  and  some- 
times a  controlling  one,  in  the  most  impor- 
tant events  in  the  history  of  man.  He 
tempted  Eve,  Gen.  3:1;  he  tried  Job,  Job 
1:7;  provoked  David  to  number  Israel,  1 
Chron.  21 : 1 ;  he  tempted  our  Lord  in  the 
wilderness,  Matt.  4:1;  he  "entered  into 
Judas,"  Luke  22  : 3 ;  he  is  the  deceiver  which 
deceiveth  the  whole  world.  Rev.  12 : 9,  etc. 
"  He  that  committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil : 
for  the  devil  sinneth  from  the  beginning. 
For  this  purpose  was  the  Son  of  God  mani- 
fested, that  he  might  destroy  the  works  of 
the  devil."  1  John  3  :  8.  The  time  is  com- 
ing, and  may  be  near  at  hand,  when 
"the  dragon,  that  old  serpent,  which  is  the 
devil  and  Satan,"  shall  be  bound  for  a  thou- 
sand years,  "that  he  should  deceive  the 
nations  no  more  till  the  thousand  years 
should  be  fulfilled ;  and  after  that  he  must 
be  loosed  a  little  season."  Rev.  20 : 2.  "  And 
when  the  thousand  years  are  expired,  Satan 
shall  be  loosed  out  of  his  prison  and  shall 
go  out  to  deceive  the  nations."  Rev.  20  :  7. 
The  fall  and  punishment  of  the  devil  is 
recorded.  Matt.  25 :  41 ;  Luke  10  :  18 ;  John 
8:44;  2Pet.2:4;  1  John  3:8;  Jude  6;  Rev. 
20  :  10.  The  word  devil  is  sometimes  ap- 
phed  to  a  very  wicked  man  or  woman. 
John  6  :  70 ;  Acts  13  :  10 ;  and  in  the  Greek 
of  2  Tim.  3:3;  Tit.  2 : 3,  where  the  A.  V. 
reads  "  false  accusers." 

Devils,  Demons.  Although  there  Is 
only  one  being  known  as  the  devil,  the 
English  version  of  the  Scriptures  often  uses 
the  words  devil  and  devils,  where  it  should 
read  demon  and  demons.  The  words  in 
the  original  Greek  are  different  from  the 
word  used  when  the  devil  is  referred  to. 
Frequent  accounts  are  given  of  persons  pos- 
sessed by  demons,  and  of  our  Lord  casting 
out  demons.  They  are  evil  spirits  plainly 
distinguished  from  the  persons  whom  they 
possess,  sometimes  a  number  of  them  en- 
tering into  a  person.  Luke  8:2;  8  :  30. 
Thev  can  go  out  of  persons  and  can  enter 
into  swine.  Matt.  8 :  31 ;  Mark  5 :  11-13.  They 
have  a  separate  consciousness ;  they  know 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Luke  4  :  41 :  8 :  28, 
and  are  addressed  by  Christ  as  personal  be- 
ings, Mark  1 :24  ;  5:9;  and  they  are  look- 
ing forward  to  the  day  of  judgment,  to  them 
the  day  of  torment.  Matt.  8  :  29 ;  James  2  : 
19.  As  frequent  accounts  are  given,  in  thQ 
Old  Testament  and  in  the  New,  of  the  devil 
and  of  demons  entering  into  persons,  there 
is  no  reason  to  doubt  that  they  do  so 
now. 

Dial.  It  was  on  the  "  dial  of  Ahaz  "  that 
the  miraculous  sign  given  to  Hezekiah  for 
his  recovery  from  sickness  showed  itself.    2 


DIAMOND 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


DIVINATION 


Kings  20  : 8-11 ;  Isa.  38 : 7,  8.  It  is  uncertain 
what  the  "  dial "  of  Ahaz  was.  The  word  so 
translated  is  elsewhere  rendered  "  degrees," 
"  steps,"  e.  g.,  Ex.  20 :  26.  Some  have  imag- 
ined it  a  hemispherical  cavity  in  a  horizon- 
tal square  stone,  provided  with  a  gnomon 
or  index  in  the  middle,  the  shadow  of 
which  fell  on  dilTerent  lines  cut  in  the  hol- 
low surface ;  some  think  that  it  was  a  ver- 
tical index  surrounded  hy  twelve  concen- 
tric circles ;  while  some,  with  perhaps 
greater  probabiUty,  believe  it  an  obelisk- 
like pillar,  set  up  in  an  open  elevated  place, 
with  encirchng  steps,  on  which  the  shad- 
ow fell.  Ahaz  appears  to  have  had  a  taste 
for  curious  things,  2  Kings  16  :  10,  and  might 
have  borrowed  this  dial  from  Assyria.  The 
inquiry  from  Babylon  in  regard  to  it  would 
seem  to  imply  that  the  miracle  was  heard 
of,  but  not  witnessed  there.  2  Chron.  32 : 
31. 

Diamond.  One  of  the  gems  in  the  high 
priest's  breastplate  is  so  called  in  our  ver- 
sion. Ex.  28  :  18  ;  39  :  11.  The  same  word 
also  occurs  in  reference  to  the  king  of  Tyre. 
Ezek.  28  :  13.  It  was  doubtless  some  hard 
stone ;  for  the  original  Hebrew  term  implies 
striking.  But  it  is  questionable  whether, 
in  the  early  ages  of  the  world,  the  art  of 
cutting  and  engraving  the  diamond  was 
understood.  It  is,  therefore,  more  gener- 
ally supposed  that  an  onyx  or  some  other 
hard  crystal  is  here  meant. 

Diana  (di-d'nah,  or  dl-dn'ah) ;  Greek,  Ar- 
temis. A  heathen  goddess  of  the  Romans 
and  Greeks,  of  great  renown.  The  Diana 
of  Ephesus  was  a  different  deity  from  the 
chaste  huntress  of  the  Greeks.  She  was 
hke  the  Sidonian  goddess  Ashtoreth,  and 
appears  to  have  been  worshipped  with  im- 
pure rites  and  magical  mysteries.  Acts  19  : 
19.  Her  image,  which  was  reputed  to  have 
fallen  down  from  Jupiter,  seems  to  have 
been  a  block  of  wood  shaped  into  a  female 
bust  above  covered  with  many  breasts,  the 
head  crowned  with  turrets,  and  each  hand 
resting  on  a  staff.  The  temple  of  this  god- 
dess was  the  pride  and  glory  of  Ephesus, 
and  one  of  the  seven  wonders  of  the  world. 
It  was  425  feet  long,  and  220  broad,  and  had 
127  graceful  Ionic  columns  of  white  marble, 
each  60  feet  high,  and  the  temple  was  220 
years  in  building.  When  Alexander  the 
Great  was  born,  b.  c.  356,  an  earlier  temple 
was  burned  down  by  one  Herostratus, 
in  order  to  immortalize  his  name  :  the 
splendid  one  above  described  had  been  re- 
built in  its  place.  Compare  1  Cor.  3  : 9-17, 
written  in  Ephesus ;  and  Eph.  2  :  19-22.  The 
"  silver  shrines  for  Diana,"  made  by  Deme- 
trius and  others,  were  probably  little  mod- 
els of  the  temple  sold  for  amulets  and  house- 
hold use.  Ancient  coins  of  Ephesus  repre- 
sent the  shrine  and  statue  of  Diana,  with  a 
Greek  inscription,  "of  theEphesians."  Acts 
19  :  28,  34,  35.  Others  bear  the  words  which 
Luke  employs,  translated  "deputy"  and 
"  worshipper  "  of  Diana.  In  her  temple  at 
Ephesus  were  stored  immense  treasures, 
and  any  preaching  that  tended  to  lower 
the  shrine  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  as 
Paul's  did,  would  naturally  arouse  a  great 
tumult. 


Dibon  {dJ'bon),  wasting.  The  name  of 
two  towns.  1.  Dibon  in  Moab.  Num.  21 : 
30 ;  Isa.  15  :  2.  It  was  built  by  Gad,  Num. 
32  :  34,  and  hence  called  Dibon-gad ;  was 
assigned  to  Reuben,  Josh.  13  :  9,  17  ;  was 
also  called  Dimon.  Isa.  15:9.  It  afterward 
returned  to  Moab,  Isa.  15 : 2  ;  Jer.  48  :  18,  22  ; 
now  called  Dhibiin,  about  12  miles  east  of 
the  Dead  Sea  and  3  miles  north  of  the 
Arnon.  Its  ruins  are  extensive,  covering 
the  tops  of  two  adjacent  hills.  See  Moab, 
2.  A  town  in  the  south  of  Judah,  Neh.  11  : 
25 ;  the  same  as  Dimonah,  Josh.  15  :  22,  and 
probably  modern  ed-Dheib. 

Din  all  {dVnah),  judged,  acquitted,  or 
avenged.  The  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Leah. 
Gen.  30 :  21.  The  history  of  her  visiting 
the  daughters  of  the  heathen  inhabitants 
of  the  land,  of  her  defilement  by  Shechem, 
and  of  the  treacherous  and  bloody  revenge 
taken  by  her  brothers  Simeon  and  Levi, 
are  recorded  in  Gen.  34.  Nothing  more  is 
certainly  known  of  her ;  she  probably  ac- 
companied her  family  into  Egypt.  Gen. 
46  :  15. 

Dionysiiis  (dVo-nWi't-Hs),  belonging  to 
Dionysus,  or  Bacchus.  An  eminent  Athe- 
nian, converted  by  means  of  Paul's  preach- 
ing. Acts  17  :  34.  Tradition  reports  him 
to  have  been  bishop  of  Athens,  and  to  have 
suffered  martyrdom  there. 

Diotrephes  {dV  of  re-fez),  Jove-nourished. 
A  professed  Cliristian,  who  resisted  the  au- 
thority of  John.  3  John  9.  His  place  of 
residence  is  unknown. 

Dispersion,  Jews  of  the.  The  "dis- 
persed," or  the  "dispersion,"  was  the  terra 
applied  to  those  Jews  who  continued  in 
other  countries  after  the  return  from  Baby- 
lon. Babylon  thus  became  a  centre  from 
which  ofltshoots  spread;  and  colonies  of 
Jews  established  themselves  in  Persia,  Me- 
dia, and  other  neighboring  countries.  The 
result  of  Greek  conquest  was  to  draw  off 
Jewish  settlers  to  the  west.  Hence  they 
were  found  in  the  cities  of  Asia  jNIinor,  en- 
joying privileges  from  the  Syrian  kings. 
Settlements  were  also  formed  in  Egypt,  ex- 
tending themselves  along  the  northern 
coasts,  and  possibly  also  into  the  interior. 
See  Jas.  1:1;  1  Pet.  1 : 1.  And,  after  the 
capture  of  Jerusalem  by  Pompey,  Jews  were 
introduced  at  Rome.  The  dispersed,  how- 
ever, all  looked  to  Jerusalem  as  the  metrop- 
olis of  their  faith  ;  they  paid  the  legal  half- 
shekel  towards  the  temple  services :  they 
had  with  them  everywhere  their  sacred 
book,  which  thus  became  known  to  the 
Gentiles,  Acts  15 :  21 ;  while  a  wholesome 
influence  was  perceptible  on  themselves. 

Divination  is  the  profession  of  fore- 
teUing  future  events.  Deut.  18:10.  Various 
modes  of  doing  this  have  been  resorted  to 
in  different  nations.  Thus  Joseph's  cup 
was  used  in  this  art.  Gen.  44 : 5.  The 
Egyptian  magicians  used  to  practise  divina- 
tion: so  did  the  Chaldseans  at  Babylon. 
Divination  wasj)ractised  among  the  Greeks. 
The  appearance  of  the  sky  and  of  the  hea- 
venly signs,  the  flight  and'song  of  birds,  the 
phenomena  presented  by  the  entrails  of 
victims,  etc.,  were  supposed  to  prognosticate 
events ;  and,  according  to  these  prognosti- 
71 


DIVORCE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


DRAGON 


cations,  public  as  well  as  private  actions 
were  regulated.  The  Romans  were  equally 
zealous  in  divining.  The  hold  that  such 
practices  had  upon  the  public  mind  was 
very  strong.  We  need  the  less  wonder  at 
it  when  we  notice  the  eagerness  with  which, 
even  now,  pei-sons  will  resort  to  a  specious 
fortune-teller.  There  is  frequent  mention 
of  diviners  in  Scripture  ;  and  the  Hebrews 
are  repeatedly  warned  against  the  preten- 
sions of  those  who  aflected  to  foretell 
events. 

Divorce.  A  dissolution  of  the  marriage 
relation.  The  law  on  this  subject  is  found 
in  Dent.  24  :  1^,  and  the  cases  in  which  the 
right  of  a  husband  to  divorce  his  wife  was 
lost  are  stated  in  Deut.  22:19,  29.  The 
ground  of  divorce  is  a  point  on  which  the 
Jewish  doctors  of  the  New  Testament  era 
diifered  widely ;  the  school  of  Shammai 
seeming  to  limit  it  to  a  moral  delinquency 
in  the  woman,  whilst  that  of  Hillel  ex- 
tended it  to  trifling  causes,  e.  g.,  if  the  wife 
burnt  the  food  she  was  cooking  for  her 
husband.  The  Pharisees  wished  perhaps 
to  entangle  our  Saviour  with  these  ques- 
tions in  their  rival  schools.  Matt.  19  : 3 ;  but 
by  his  answer  to  them,  as  well  as  by  his 
previous  maxim,  Matt.  5  :  31,  32,  he  declares 
that  he  regarded  all  the  lesser  causes  than 
"fornication"  as  standing  on  too  weak 
ground,  and  set  forth  adultery  as  the 
proper  ground  of  divorce.  Matt.  5  :  32 ;  19  : 9  ; 
Mark  10  :  11, 12 ;  Luke  16  :  18. 

Doctor.    See  La-wyer,  Teacher. 

Doeg  {do' eg),  fear  Jul.  An  Edomite,  the 
chief  of  Saul's  herdsmen,  "detained  before 
the  Lord,"  probably  by  a  vow^  or  because 
it  was  the  sabbath,  when  David  fled  to 
Nob.  1  Sam.  21 :  7.  Doeg  afterwards  falsely 
accused  Ahimelech,  the  high  priest,  to  Saul'; 
and,  when  none  of  the  king's  guard  would 
execute  the  ferocious  sentence  to  slay  the 
priests  of  the  Lord,  he  fell  upon  them  and 
killed  80  persons,  sacking  also  their  city. 
1  Sam.  22  :  9-19  ;  Ps.  52,  title. 

Dog.  This  well-known  animal  is  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  the  Bible.  But, 
though  it  was  employed  to  watch  .the 
flocks.  Job  30 : 1,  and  to  guard  the  house, 
Isa.  56  :  10,  it  was  by  no  means  regarded  as 
we  regard  it,  the  companion  and  friend  of 
man,  but  was  an  unclean  animal  under 
Jewish  law  and  regarded  with  contempt. 
Ex.  22  :  31 ;  Deut.  23  :  18 ;  1  Sam.  17  :  43 ;  24  : 
14.  Dogs  were  scavengers,  half  wild,  prowl- 
ing about  the  fields  and  the  towns,  devour- 
ing offal  and  dead  bodies,  and  disturbing 
the  night  with  their  howhngs.  This  is  the 
case  now  in  the  east;  troops  of  dogs 
abounding,  recognized  in  a  degree  by  food 
and  water  being  occasionally  given  them, 
and,  according  to  the  instincts  of  their 
nature,  guarding  the  place  where  they  con- 
gregate, but  deemed  impure  and  unclean, 
just  as  among  the  ancient  Hebrews.  Hence 
we  can  understand  the  comparison  of  sav- 
age and  cruel  men  to  dogs,  Ps.  22  :  16 ;  Phil. 
3  : 2,  and  the  contempt  and  dislike  attached 
to  the  name  of  a  dog.  1  Sam.  24  :  14  ;  2  Sam. 
3:8;  9:8.  Solomon  contrasts  a  hving  dog 
with  a  dead  lion,  Eccl.  9  : 4,  and  Abner  ex- 
claims :  "  Am  I  a  dog's  head  ?  "  2  Sam.  3  : 8, 
72 


implying  that  a  dog  is  the  meanest  thing 
alive.  The  same  contempt  is  imphed  in 
the  charge  :  "He  that  sacrifices  a  lamb,  .  . 
as  ?/ he  cut  off  a  dog's  neck."  Isa.  66:3. 
In  the  New  Testament  it  is  used  to  designate 
vile  persons  who  are  shut  out  of  heaven, 
Rev.  22  :  15,  and  foolish  persons  devoted  to 
their  folly.  2  Pet.  2  :  22.  To  the  present 
day  the  word  is  applied  by  Jews  to  Gen- 
tiles, and  by  ISIohammedans  to  Christians, 
as  a  term  of  reproach. 

Dor  (dor),  dicelling.  A  roval  city  of  the 
Canaamtes,  Josh.  11:2;  12 :  23,  within  the 
territory  of  Asher,  but  allotted  to  Manas- 
seh.  Josh.  17  :  11 ;  Judg.  1 :  27  ;  1  Chron.  7 : 
29,  and  it  Mas  one  of  Solomon's  provision- 
districts,  1  Kings  4 :  11 ;  now  Tantura,  eight 
miles  north  of  Csesarea,  where  there  are 
considerable  ruins. 

Dorcas  {dor'kas),  gazelle.    See  Tabitha. 

Dotlian  (do'than),  hco  cisterns.  Where 
Joseph  found  his  brethren,  Gen.  37  :  17,  and 
EUsha  resided.  2  Kings  6  :  13.  It  was.  on 
the  south  side  of  the  plain  of  Jezreel,  12 
miles  north  of  Samaria ;  now  called  Tel- 
Doth^n,  five  miles  southwest  of  Jenin. 
Numerous  bottled-shaped  cisterns  hewn  in 
the  rock  are  still  found,  which  are  sup- 
posed to  resemble  the  "  pit "  of  Gen.  37  :  24. 
Caravans  still  pass  this  place,  as  of  old,  on 
their  way  from  Damascus  to  Egypt. 

Dove.  A  clean  bird  in  the  Mosiac  law  sent 
out  by  Noah.  Gen.  8 :  8,  12.  The  Hebrew 
word  yonah  includes  the  various  varieties  of 
doves  and  pigeons  found  in  Palestine,  ex- 
cepting turtle-doves,  called  tor.  There  are 
very  many  allusions  to  this  bird,  for  its 
beauty  of  plumage,  Ps.  68  :  13,  its  simpleness, 
Hos.  7:11,  its harmlessness,  Matt.  10  :  16,  etc., 
so  that  it  even  symbolizes  the  Holy  Spirit, 
the  meekness,  'purity,  and  splendor  of 
righteousness.  Matt.  3  :  16  ;  Mark  1 :  10 ; 
Luke  3  :  22 ;  John  1 :  32.  Doves  are  fre- 
quently domesticated  in  the  east.  Pigeons 
and  turtle-doves  might,  alone  of  birds,  be 
offered  in  sacrifice  ;  full-gro^vn  turtle-doves 
in  pairs,  but  only  the  young  of  pigeons. 
Lev.  1 :  14  ;  5  : 7,  11 ;  12  : 6-8.  They  were  the 
offering  of  the  poorer  classes ;  hence  made 
by  Mary.  Luke  2 :  24.  And  on  this  ac- 
count it  was  that  those  who  sold  doves  es- 
tabUshed  themselves  in  the  precincts  of  the 
temple.  Matt.  21 :  12 ;  Mark  11 :  15 ;  John  2 : 
14-16. 

Dove's  Dung.  In  the  siege  of  Samaria 
by  Ben-hadad,  a  fourth  part  of  a  cab  of 
dove's  dung  was  sold  for  five  shekels.  2 
Kings  6  :  25.  Bochart  supposes  chick-peas 
here  meant ;  but  Keil,  without  deciding  the 
question,  produces  testimony  that  excre- 
ment has  been  used  for  food  in  famine,  and 
that  the  literal  meaning  is  not  impossible. 
Dr.  Thomson  considers  dove's  dung  a 
coarse  kind  of  bean.  The  seeds  of  millet 
are  called  "  doves'  seed  "  by  the  Hebrews, 
which  favors  the  bulb  or  seed  of  some 
plant. 

Dovrry.    See  Marriage. 

Dragon.  The  original  word  for  this  in  the 
Bible  has  three  meanings.  Very  commonly, 
where  it  occurs  in  connection  w'ith  ostriches, 
owls,  deserts,  and  ruins,  it  denotes  the 
jackal,  whose  characteristics  are  unmistak- 


DREAM 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


DWELLING 


ablv  indicated,  such  as  his  "  wailing  "  and 
"  snuffing  up  the  wind."  So  in  Job  30  :  29, 
the  R.  V.  reads  "jackals,"  and  also  in  Ps. 
44  :  19  and  Jer.  9  :  11,  in  which  passages 
soUtude  and  desolation  are  illustrated.  The 
same  idea  is  in  Micah  1 :  S.  In  some  pas- 
sages it  denotes  monsters  of  the  deep  or 
huge  land  -  reptiles,  as  in  Ps.  91 :  13 ;  R. 
V.  reads  "serpent."  In  Deut.  32  :33  it  re- 
fers to  some  poisonous  reptile,  being  used 
in  connection  with  the  asp,  a  poisonous 
snake.  The  figurative  use  of  this  term,  as 
in  Ps.  74  :  13 ;  Ezek.  29  :  3  ;  Rev.  12  :  3  and 
20  :  2,  is  quite  ob\ious. 

Dream.  One  mode  of  divine  communi- 
cation to  the  mind  of  man  has  been  by 
dreams.  Num.  12 : 6.  While  bodily  organs 
were  asleep  and  yet  the  perception  active, 
God  has  sometimes  spoken,  sometimes  in 
the  way  of  direct  message,  occasionally  by 
symbolic  representation,  for  which  after- 
wards an  interpreter  was  needed.  The 
prophetic  dream  must  be  distinguished  from 
the  prophetic  vision.  The  latter  might  be 
in  the  night.  Acts  18 :  9  ;  23  :  11 ;  27  :  23  ;  but 
the  senses  were  not  wrapped  up  in  sleep. 
It  was  by  means  of  dreams  that  God  com- 
municated with  those  who  were  not  of  his 
covenant  people.  Gen.  20  : 3-7 ;  31 :  24  ;  40  : 
5 ;  41 : 1-8 ;  Judg.  7  :  13 ;  Dan.  2:1;  4  : 5, 10- 
18 ;  Matt.  2 :  12 ;  27  :  19.  Often,  indeed,  it 
was  by  a  dream  that  God  spoke  to  his  most 
favored  servants.  Gen.  15  :  12-16 ;  37  : 5-10 ; 
ISIatt.  1 :  20,  21.  God  communicated  by  a 
dream  with  Solomon,  not  only  while  he 
was  young,  1  Kings  3 : 5-15,  but  also  in  his 
mature  hfe.  1  Kings  9  : 2-9.  We  can  only 
say  that  the  Lord  acts  herein  according  to 
his  good  pleasure.  The  false  dreaming  of 
a  dreamer  of  dreams,  it  may  be  added,  was 
censured  and  to  be  punished.    Deut.  13 : 1-5. 

Drink,  Strong.     See  Wine. 

Dromedary.  Isa.  60 : 6.  A  breed  of  the 
camel,  remarkable  for  its  speed.  Jer.  2  :  23. 
It  can  travel  from  60  to  90  miles  or  more  in 
a  day.  The  dromedary  is  taller  and  has 
longer  hmbs  than  other  varieties  of  camel, 
and  cannot  as  well  bear  heat  or  cold. 

Drusilla  [dru-sU'lah) .  Acts  24  :  24.  The 
young  daughter  of  Herod  Agrippa  I.,  and 
sister  of  Agrippa  II.  She  was  first  be- 
trothed to  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  prince  of 
Commagene  ;  but,  as  he  refused  to  become 
a  Jew,  she  was  married  to  Azizus,  prince  of 
Emesa.  Soon  after,  Fehx,  the  Roman  pro- 
curator, persuaded  her,  by  means  of  the 
Cyprian  sorcerer  Simon,  to  leave  her  hus- 
band and  marry  him.  Acts  24  :  24.  She 
bore  him  a  son,  Agrippa,  who  perished  in 
the  eruption  of  Vesuvius  in  the  reign  of 
Titus. 

Dulcimer.  A  musical  instrument  simi- 
lar to  a  bag-pipe  hke  that  in  use  at  the 
present  day  among  the  peasants  of  north- 
western Asia  and  southern  Europe.  Dan. 
3 : 5, 10, 15.  It  was  composed  of  two  pipes 
with  a  leathern  sack,  and  produced  a  harsh, 
screaming  sound.  It  has  no  resemblance  at 
all  to  the  modern  dulcimer. 

Dumali  {d u'mah) ,  silence.  1.  A  son  of  Ish- 
mael.  Gen.  2.5 :  14  ;  1  Chron.  1 :  30.  2.  A 
town  in  Judah,  near  Hebron,  Josh.  15  :  52  ; 
now  ed-bomeh,   ten   miles   southwest    of 


Hebron.  3.  A  region,  perhaps  near  Mount 
Seir.    Isa.  21 :  11. 

Dung.  In  many  countries  of  the  East 
wood  is  so  scarce  and  dear  as  to  be  sold  by 
weight.  Hence  animal  excrements  are  used 
as  fuel.  Ezek.  4  :  12.  It  is  a  very  common 
material  for  heating  ovens,  even  among 
people  of  comfortable  circumstances.  The 
odor  arising  from  the  use  of  it  is  offensive, 
and  penetrates  the  food. 

Dura  (du'rah),  circle.  The  place  where 
Nebuchadnezzar  set  up  his  golden  image. 
Dan.  3:1.  Layard  identifies  it  with  Bur, 
below  Tekrit,  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Ti- 
gris ;  but  Oppert  would  place  it,  with  more 
probability,  to  the  southeast  of  Babylon, 
near  a  mound  called  Duair,  where  he  found 
the  pedestal  of  a  colossal  statue. 

Dust.  To  hck  the  dust,  Ps.  72 :  9,  signi- 
fies abject  submission.  To  shake  the  dust 
from  the  feet.  Matt.  10  :  14  ;  Luke  10  :  11, 
implies  the  renouncing  of  all  contact.  The 
Pharisees  entering  Judea  from  a  Gentile 
country  were  accustomed  to  shake  the 
dust  from  their  feet,  as  a  renunciation  of 
Gentile  communion.  But  there  was  a  fur- 
ther meaning ;  as  Paul's  shaking  his  gar- 
ments. Acts  18 : 6,  so  shaking  off  the  dust 
was  a  declaration  of  being  free  from  the 
blood  of  those  who  rejected  the  gospel-mes- 
sage. The  casting  of  dust  on  or  against  a 
person  was  a  form  of  bitter  execration.  2 
Sam.  16  :  13 ;  Acts  22 :  23. 

Dwelling.  The  dwellings  of  the  poor 
in  oriental  lands  are  generally  mere  huts 
of  mud  or  sun-burnt  bricks.  The  earhest 
form  of  human  habitation  was  probably  a 
booth,  though  Cain  built  a  city.  Gen."4  : 
17.  The  patriarchs  were  chiefly  dwellers 
in  tents,  a  form  of  habitation  invented  or 
adopted  by  Jabal.  Gen.  4 :  17-20.  Of  the 
various  forms  of  dwellings  common  in 
early  times,  and  alluded  to  in  Scriptures, 
we  may  mention :  1.  The  booth.  2.  The 
tent.  3.  The  cave  dwellings.  4.  The  house 
of  varied  materials  — wood,  dried  mud, 
brick,  stone,  etc.  The  fathers  of  the  Is- 
raelitish  nation  for  the  most  part  dwelt  in 
tents.  They  were,  in  the  providence  of 
God,  pilgrims  in  a  land  which  should  be 
given  as  a  settled  home  to  their  posterity ; 
wholesome  lessons  being  thus  taught  them, 
and  their  example  being  to  be  afterwards 
quoted  for  the  confirmation  of  the  faith  of 
the  church.  Acts  7:4,  5 ;  Heb.  11  :  8-10. 
Jacob  indeed  is  said  to  have  "built  him  a 
house  at  Succoth,"  Gen,  33  :  17 ;  but  the  orig- 
inal word  so  rendered  is  of  vague  significa- 
tion, and  comprises  almost  every  kind  of 
erection,  from  the  humblest  hut  or  even 
tent  to  the  gorgeous  palace  or  sacred  temple. 
After  leaving  Egypt,  the  Israelites  inhab- 
ited tents  in  the  wilderness ;  so  that  it  was 
not  till  they  occupied  Canaan  that  they 
were  domiciled  in  houses  properly  so  called. 
In  the  cities  which  they  took — the  few  ex- 
cepted which  they  were  commanded  to  de- 
strov— they  found  houses  readv  to  their 
hand.  Deut.  6  :  10,  11 ;  Josh.  24  :  13.  Some 
of  the  material  of  these  houses  may  be  still 
existing  in  the  massive  dwelUngs  of  Ba- 
shan,  altered  from  what  they  were  when 
the  victorious  tribes  took  possession  of  them. 
73 


DWELLING 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


DWELLING 


The  Plan.  Probably  the  houses  of  the 
ancient  IsraeUtes  differed  little  from  those 
inhabited  by  modem  Syrians.  We  may 
well,  therefore,  derive  'our  illustrations 
of  such  as  are  mentioned  in  the  Bible  from 
usages  of  the  present  day.  In  some  parts 
of  Palestine  and  Arabia  stone  is  used,  and 
in  certain  districts  caves  in  the  rocks  are 
used  as  dwellings.  Amos  5: 11.  The  houses 
are  usually  of  one  story  only,  viz.,  the 
ground  floor,  and  often  contain  only  one 
apartment.  Sometimes  a  small  court  for 
the  cattle  is  attached  ;  and  in  some  cases 
the  cattle  are  housed  in  the  same  building, 
or  the  people  live  on  a  raised  platform,  and 
the  cattle  round  them  on  the  ground.  1 
Sam.  28  :  24.  The  windows  are  small  aper- 
tures high  up  in  the  walls,  sometimes  grated 
with  wood.  The  roofs  are  commonly,  but 
not  always  flat,  and  are  usually  formed 
of  a  plaster  of  mud  and  straw  laid  upon 
boughs  or  rafters,  or  of  tiles  or  flat  stones, 
supported  by  beams  of  wood.  Upon  the 
flat  roofs,  tents  or  "  booths  "  of  boughs  or 
rushes  are  often  raised  to  be  used  as  sleep- 
ing-places in  summer.  The  difference  be- 
tween the  poorest  houses  and  those  of  the 
class  next  above  them  is  greater  than  be- 
tween these  and  the  houses  of  the  first 
rank.  The  materials  of  the  better  class  of 
houses  were  stone,  marble,  and  other  costly 
kinds,  perhaps,  porphyry,  basalt,  etc.,  1 
Chron.  29 : 2,  carefully  squared,  panelled, 
and  fitted,  Amos  5  ;  11,  cemented  in  Baby- 
lonia with  bitumen,  Gen.  11 : 3,  with  clay, 
or  mortar  composed  of  lime,  ashes,  and 
sand,  straw  being  sometimes  added.  Infe- 
rior materials,  and  want  of  proper  mixing, 
would  make  this  mortar  Uable  to  crumble, 
Ezek.  13:10-15,  in  rainy  weather.  Some- 
times stones  were  fastened  together  with 
iron  clamps  or  lead.  Bricks,  kiln-burnt, 
were  probably  also  used.  Other  materials 
were  timber,  such  as  cedar,  shittim  (aca- 
cia), sycamore,  ohve,  and  in  palaces  algum 
and  cypress.  Ex.  26  :  15 ;  1  Kings  6  :  15,  16, 
32-34 ;  7  : 8,  12 ;  10 :  12 ;  Isa.  9  :  10.  The  pre- 
cious metals  and  ivoiy  were  also  employed 
for  overlaving  woodwork,  etc.,  1  Kings  6 : 
35 ;  22 :  39 ;  Amos  3  :  15. 

A  modern  eastern  house  of  the  better 
class  presents  a  dead  wall  to  the  street,  with 
an  interior  court.  There  is  a  low  en- 
trance door  with  an  inscription  from  the 
Koran,  and  over  it  a  latticed  window,  or 
kiosk,  sometimes  projecting  like  our  an- 
tique bay-windows ;  there  may  be  also  a 
few  other  small  latticed  windows  high  up 
in  the  wall.  A  passage  from  the  outer  door, 
which  is  attended  to  bv  the  porter,  John 
18  :  16,  17  ;  Acts  12  :  13,  !<  leads  into  the  first 
or  outer  court,  but  is  so  contrived  that  the 
entrance  to  the  court  is  not  exactly  opposite 
to  the  external  door ;  so  that  no  view  of  the 
court  is  obtained  from  the  street,  nor  any 
of  the  street  from  the  court.  The  principal 
apartment  looks  into  this  court,  and  some 
of  them  are  open  to  it.  The  court  is 
occasionally  shaded  by  an  awning;  and 
on  the  floor  or  pavement  of  it,  rugs  are 
spread  on  festive  occasions ;  while  in  the 
centre  there  is  often  a  fountain.  Around 
the  court,  or  part  of  it,  a  veranda  runs, 
74 


and  over  this,  when  the  house  has  more 
than  one  story,  there  is  often  another  bal- 
ustraded  gallerj-.  In  the  corner  of  the 
court  are  the  stairs  to  the  upper  apartments. 
Immediately  opposite  the  side  of  entrance 
is  the  principal  reception  room,  open  to  the 
court.  It  has  a  raised  terrace  or  platform, 
and  is  richly  fitted  up  with  sofas  (the  divan) 
round  three  sides,  and  probably  with  a 
fountain  in  the  centre.  Here  the  master 
of  the  house  receives  his  visitors,  his  place 
being  the  corner  of  the  divan,  and  each 
person  taking  off  his  shoes  before  he  steps 
upon  the  raised  portion  of  the  apartment. 
When  there  is  no  second  floor,  but  more 
than  one  court,  the  women's  apartments— 
hdreem,  harem  or  haixun—ave  usually  in  the 
second  court ;  otherwise  they  form  a  sep- 
arate building  within  the  gene'ral  enclosure, 
or  are  above  on  the  first  floor.  When  there 
is  an  upper  story,  the  most  important  apart- 
ment answers  to  the  upper  room,  which 
was  often  the  guest  chamber.  Luke  22: 
12 ;  Acts  1 :  13 ;  9  :  37  ;  20 : 8. 

TTie  ivindoivs  of  the  upper  rooms  often 
project  one  or  two  feet,  and  form  a  latticed 
chamber.  See  "  the  chamber  in  the  wall." 
2  Kings  4:10,  IL  The  "lattice"  through 
which  Ahaziah  fell  perhaps  belonged  to 
an  upper  chamber  of  this  kind,  2  Kings  1 : 
2,  as  also  the  "third  stor\-,"  from  which 
Eutychus  fell.  Acts  20  : 9';  comp.  Jer.  22  : 
13.  Paul  preached  in  such  a  room  on  ac- 
count of  its  superior  size  and  retired  posi- 
tion. The  outer  circle  in  an  audience  in 
such  a  room  sat  upon  a  dais,  or  upon  cush- 
ions elevated  so  as  to  be  as  high  as  the 
window-sill.  From  such  a  position  Euty- 
chus could  easily  fall.  There  are  usually 
no  rooms  specially  for  sleeping  in  eastern 
houses.  The  outer  doors  are  closed  with  a 
wooden  lock,  but  in  some  cases  the  apart- 
ments are  divided  from  each  other  by  cur- 
tains only.  There  are  no  chimneys,  but 
fire  is  made  when  required  with  charcoal 
in  a  brazier,  or  a  fire  of  wood  might  be  kin- 
dled in  the  open  court  of  the  house.  Luke 
22 :  55.  It  was  in  a  house  built  after  this 
manner,  probably,  that  our  Lord  was  ar- 
raigned before  the  high  priest  at  the  time 
when  the  denial  of  him  by  Peter  took 
place.  He  "turned  and  looked"  on  Peter 
as  he  stood  by  the  fire  in  the  court,  Luke  22 : 
56,  61 ;  whilst  he  himself  was  in  the  "hall 
of  judgment." 

In  oriental  dweUings,  the  roof  is  an 
important  part.  Its  flat  surface  is  made 
useful  for  various  household  purposes,  as 
drj'ing  corn,  hanging  up  linen  and  pre- 
paring figs  and  raisins.  In  forming  the 
roof,  twigs,  matting,  and  earth  are  laid 
upon  the  rafters,  trodden  down  and  cov- 
ered with  a  compost,  hard  when  it  is  drJ^ 
But  it  is  necessary  carefully  to  roll  it  after 
rain.  On  such  roofs  weeds  often  grow,  but 
are  speedily  dried  up  and  wither.  Ps.  129 : 
6,  7 ;  Isa.  37  :  27.  These  roofs  were  to  be 
carefully  protected  by  a  battlement  or  par- 
apet, lest  accidents  should  occur.  Deut. 
22  : 8.  This  towards  the  street  is  a  wall,  to- 
wards the  interior  court  usually  a  balus- 
trade. It  may  have  been  through  this  that 
Ahaziah  fell.    2  Kings  1  :  2.     The  roof  is 


DWELLING 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


EARING,  EARING  TIME 


reached  by  an  external  staircase,  so  that  it 
is  not  necessary  to  go  through  any  of  the 
rooms  in  ascending  or  descending.  Matt. 
24 :  17.  Many  uses  were  and  are  made  of 
these  roof  platforms.  Linen  and  other  arti- 
cles were  spread  there  to  dry.  Josh.  '2  : 6. 
They  were  places  of  private  conference,  of 
recreation,  and  for  sleeping.  1  Sam.  9  :  25, 
26 ;  2  Sam.  11 : 2 ;   16  :  22 ;  Job  27  :  18 ;  Prov. 

21  : 9 ;  booths  were  erected  there  at  the  feast 
of  tabernacles,  Neh.  8 :  16,  and  tents,  2  Sam. 
16 :  22.  In  times  of  pubhc  calamity,  lamen- 
tations were  uttered  there.  Isa.  15  :  3  ;  22 : 
1 ;  Jer.  48  :  38.  There,  too,  was  private 
prayer  made,  and  sometimes  idolatrous  rites 
performed.  2  Kings  23 :  12  ;  Jer.  19 :  13  ;  32 : 
29  ;  Zeph.  1:5;  Acts  10  :  9. 

Added  particulars.  Ceihngs  were  made 
of  cedar,  and  artistically  colored.  Jer. 
22 :  14, 15 ;  Hag.  1 :  4.  There  were  no  chim- 
neys ;  that  so  called,  Hos.  13 : 3,  was  but 
a  hole;  indeed  there  were  ordinarily  no 
tires  except  in  a  kitchen,  where,  on  a 
kind  of  brick  platform,  places  were  pro- 
vided for  cooking.  Apartments  were 
warmed  when  needed  by  tire-pans,  Jer.  36  : 

22  ;  or  tires  were  kindled  in  the  court,  Mark 
14  :  54 ;  Luke  22  :  55 ;  John  18 :  18.  Different 
rooms,  too,  as  already  mentioned  in  modern 
practice,  were  used  "in  summer-time  and  in 
winter-time,  Amos  3  :  15  ;  and,  whereas 
those  for  use  in  warm  weather  were  open 
to  the  court,  those  for  colder  seasons  were 
closed  in  with  lattice-work,  and  curtains, 
and,  probably  for  want  of  glass  in  the  win- 
dows, with  shutters.  There  were  no  rooms 
specially  appropriated  as  bedrooms  :  just  as 
it  is  common  at  the  present  day  to  sleep  on 
the  divan  in  the  ordinary  apartments. 
Hence  the  assassins  would  have  easier  ac- 
cess to  Ish-bosheth.  2  Sam.  4  : 5-7.  The 
various  notices  we  meet  with  in  Scripture 
will  be  easily  understood  if  the  previous 
descriptions  be  borne  in  mind.  The  cham- 
ber on  the  wall  designed  for  Ehsha,  2  Kings 
4  :  10,  was  probably  the  room  over  the  gate, 
with  the  projecting  window.  Perhaps,  also, 
the  summer  parlor  where  Ehud  found  Eg- 
lon,  Judg.  3 :  20,  was  the  same.  The  "  guest 
chamber,"  where  our  Lord  commanded  his 
disciples  to  prepare  for  the  last  supper, 
Luke  22 :  11,  12,  was  one  of  the  large  re- 
ception rooms  in  an  upper  story.  The  "  up- 
per room,"  where  the  disciples  assembled 
after  the  ascension.  Acts  1 :  13,  was  similar 
to  the  "guest  chamber"  mentioned  above. 
The  circumstances  attending  the  cure 
of  the  paralytic,  Mark  2  : 2-4 ;  Luke  5  :  18, 19, 
may  thus  be  explained.  Our  Lord  was 
perhaps  in  the  veranda ;  while  the  people 
crowded  the  court  and  impeded  the  pass- 
age from  the  street.  The  bearers,  there- 
fore, went  to  the  roof,  and  taking  away 
part  of  the  covering  of  the  veranda,  let 
the  sick  man  down. 

There  were  also  houses  constructed  with 
particular  reference  to  the  seasons.  Sum- 
mer houses  were  built  partly  underground, 
and  paved  witli  marble.  The  fountains 
which  gush  out  in  the  courts,  and  the 
methods  used  for  excluding  heat,  and 
securing  currents  of  fresh  air  render  modern 
eastern  houses  very  refreshing  in  the  tor- 


rid heat  of  summer.  The  ivory  house  of 
Ahab  was  probably  a  palace  largely  orna- 
mented with  inlaid  ivory.  The  circum- 
stance of  Samson's  pulling  down  the  house 
by  means  of  the  pillars  may  be  explained 
by  the  fact  of  the  company  being  assem- 
bled on  tiers  of  balconies  above  each  other, 
supported  by  central  pillars  on  the  base- 
ment ;  when  these  were  pulled  down  the 
whole  of  the  upper  floors  would  fall  also. 
Judg.  16  :  26.  It  may  be  added  that,  when 
a  man  had  built  a  house  and  had  not  dedi- 
cated it,  he  was  free  from  military  service. 
Deut.  20 : 5.  The  use  of  the  word  in  such 
passages  as  Ex.  2 :  21 ;  1  Sam.  3  :  12 ;  2  Sam. 
3 ;  1 ;  7  :  11 ;  Ezek.  2 : 5,  is  easily  understood. 
Dyeing.  The  art  of  coloring  fabrics,  and 
the  threads  forming  them,  was  known  in 
early  times.  The  ancient  Egyptians  ex- 
celled in  the  brilUancy  of  their  dyed  fab- 
rics; and  from  them  the  Hebrews,  while 
dwelhng  among  them,  probably  learnt  the 
art  of  dyeing.  The  Pho-nicians,  Greeks  and 
Romans  had  much  skill  in  this  art  also. 
We  read  of  the  scarlet  thread  at  the  birth 
of  Zarah,  Gen.  38  :  28,  30,  and  of  the  colored 
or  dyed  curtains  of  the  tabernacle  and  the 
sacerdotal  robes  which  were  manufactured 
in  the  desert.  Ex.  26  : 1,  14 ;  28  :  ^8.  The 
chemical  skill  of  the  Egyptian  linen  man- 
ufacturers in  employing  the  metallic  oxides 
and  acids  or  mordants,  is  placed  beyond 
dispute  by  ocular  proof.  The  various  pro- 
cesses of  dyeing  and  printing,  or  imparting 
the  pattern,  by  blocks— the  origin  of  calico 
printing— are  exhibited  on  the  monuments 
in  all  their  minute  details.  Even  the  print- 
ing blocks,  engraved  with  phonetic  letters, 
and  with  the  dye  upon  them,  may  be  now 
seen  in  the  British  Museum.  The  purple 
dyes  were  highly  valued  and  in  great  re- 
pute. Lydia  was  a  seller  of  this  famous 
purple.  Acts  16  :  14,  made  probably  from  a 
dye  procured  from  a  shellfish  of  the  sea. 
It  still  abounds  in  the  Red  Sea. 


Eagle  (Heb.  nesher ;  a  tearer  with  the 
beak).  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the 
eagle  of  Scripture  is  the  griffon  ( Gypsfidvus), 
or  great  vulture,  see  margin  of  the  R.  V., 
Lev.  11 :  13,  a  bird  very  abundant  in  Pales- 
tine and  adjacent  countries.  In  spite  of 
its  name,  it  is  a  much  nobler  bird  than  a 
common  vulture,  and  is  scarcely  more  of  a 
carrion-feeder  than  are  all  eagles.  Indeed, 
the  griffon  is  used  by  the  orientals  as  the 
type  of  the  lordly  and  the  great.  This  well- 
known  bird  of  prey  was  unclean  by  the 
Levitical  law.  Lev.  11 :  13 ;  Deut.  14  :  12. 
It  is  called  the  "great  vulture"  in  the 
margin  of  the  R.  V.  The  habits  of  the 
eagle  are  described  in  Num.  24  :  21 ;  Job  9  : 
26 ;  39  :  27-30 ;  Prov.  23  :  5  ;  30  :  17,  19 ;  Jer. 
49:16;  Ezek.  17:3;  Ob.  4;  Hab.  1:8;  2:9; 
Matt.  24  :  28 ;  Luke  17 :  37. 

Earing,  Earing-time.  Gen.  45  :  6 ;  Ex. 
34:21.  R.  v.,  "plowing."  Earing  is  an 
old  English  word  for  plowing.  The  same 
word  is  used.  Ps.  129 :  3,  and  is  translated 
plowed.  What  we  call  arable  land  is 
sometimes  called  "  earable  "  land  ;  R.  V., 
75 


EARNEST 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


EDREl 


"  plowed."    Deut.  21 :  4 ;  1  Sam.  8 :  12 ;  and 
Isa.  30:24,  where  the  R.  V.  reads  "till." 

Earnest.  Something  given  as  a  pledge 
for  the  performance  of  a  specified  bargain. 
Gen.  88:17;  R.  V.,  "pledge."  It  must  be 
observed  that  the  earnest,  properly  speak- 
ing, is  a  part  of  the  v,diole  to  be  granted  ; 
what  remains,  therefore,  and  is  expected,  is 
similar  in  kind  to  that  already  received. 
Thus,  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  (the  Spirit 
itself  being  the  earnest)  is  that  measure  of 
grace  vouchsafed  here  which  shall  be  aug- 
mented and  ripened  into  the  fulness  of 
grace  hereafter.  2  Cor.  1 :  22  ;  5:5;  Eph.  1 : 
13.  14.      • 

Earring.  Earrings  were  usually  worn 
by  the  Hebrew  women,  and  by  the  children 
of  both  sexes,  Ex.  32 :  2 ;  more  rarely  by  the 
men.  Asiatic  males  have,  in  both  ancient 
and  modern  times,  worn  earrings ;  and  the 
presumption  is  that  the  male  Hebrews 
would  observe  the  same  custom.  The  orig- 
inal word  generally  translated  "earring" 
is  ambiguous,  and  may  signify  an  ornament 
for  the  ear  or  for  the  nose.  In  Gen.  35  : 4 ; 
Ex.  32 :  2,  it  is  so  quaUfied  as  to  mean  clearly 
an  earring.  In  Gen.  24  :  47  ;  Prov.  11 :  22  ; 
Isa.  3 :  21 ;  Ezek.  16 :  12,  it  is  as  clearly  a  nose- 
jewel  ;  while  in  Judg.  8  :  24,  25  ;  Job  42  :  11 ; 
Prov.  25  :  12 ;  Hos.  2  :  13,  it  is  uncertain. 

Earth.  Ps.  24 : 1.  Besides  the  ordinary 
acceptation  of  the  word,  as  in  the  passage 
cited,  it  is  used  by  the  sacred  writers  to  de- 
note only  a  particular  country.  Thus,  the 
phrase,  Ezra  1:2,  "  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth,"  means  only  Chaldea  and  Assyria; 
and  it  is  often  restricted  to  Judaea  only. 

Easter,  Acts  12 :  4  (originally  the  festi- 
val of  the  Anglo-Saxon  goddess  Eastre).  is  a 
mistranslation.  It  should  be,  as  in  the 
Greek,  translated,  Passover;  the  Jewish 
feast.  It  is  so  translated  in  the  R.  V. 
Eat,  Eating.  See  3Ieals. 
Ebal  {e'bal),  stone,  stoiiy.  One  of  the  two 
mountains  by  which  Israel  stood  re- 
ceiving blessings  and  cursings.  Deut.  11 : 
29 ;  27  : 4 ;  Josh.  8  :  30-35.  Ebal  and  Gerizim 
are  opposite  each  other,  nearly  meeting 
at  their  bases,  but  are  a  mile  and  a  half 
apart  at  their  summits.  Mount  Ebal,  the 
northern  peak,  is  rocky  and  bare ;  it  rises 
3077  feet  above  the  sea  and  1200  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  valley,  which  forms  a 
natural  amphitheatre.  From  repeated  ex- 
periments it  has  been  found  that  the  voice 
can  be  heard  distinctly  from  the  top  of  one 
mountain  to  the  other  and  in  the  valley 
between.  In  the  valley  lay  ancient  She- 
chem,  now  Nablus. 

Ebed-melech  (e'bed-me'lek),  a  king's  ser- 
vant, an  Ethiopian  eunuch  in  the  service  of 
King  Zedekiah,  through  whose  interference 
Jeremiah  was  released  from  prison.  Jer. 
38  :  7  flF. ;  39  :  15,  16. 

Eben-ezer  (fb'en-e'zer),  stone  of  help.  A 
stone  set  up  by  Samuel  after  a  signal  defeat 
of  tlie  Philistines,  as  a  memorial  of  the 
"  help  "  received  from  Jehovah.  1  Sam.  7  : 
12.  Its  position  is  carefully  defined  as  be- 
tween jNIizpeh  and  Shen. 

Eber  (e'ber),  beyond.    1.  The  great-grand- 
son of  Shem,  Gen.  10  :  21,  24 ;  11 :  14-17  ;  1 
Chron.  1 :  19,  and  the  ancestor  of  Abraham 
76 


in  the  seventh  generation.    See  Hebrews, 
Heber. 

Eeclesiastes  (elc-Tcle'si-ds-tes),  thepreacher. 
It  is  the  seventh  book  after  the  Psalms  in 
the  Hebrew  Scriptures  (but  the  second  after 
the  Psalms  in  the  A.  Y.),  and  its  title  in 
Hebrew  is  Koheleth,  signifying  one  who 
convenes  a  pubUc  assembly.  Koheleth,  the 
name  assumed  by  the  author,  claims  to 
be  "  son  of  David,  King  in  Jerusalem." 
The  book  teaches  that  to  obey  God  is 
the  highest  good.  It  is  the  confession 
of  a  man  of  wide  experience,  lookin? 
back  upon  his  past  hfe  and  looking  out 
upon  the  disorders  and  calamities  which 
surround  him.  The  writer  is  a  man  who 
has  sinned  in  giving  way  to  selfishness  and 
sensuality,  who  has  suffered  for  his  sin  in 
satiety  and  weariness  of  life,  but  who  has 
through  all  this  been  under  the  discipline 
of  a  divine  education,  and  has  learned  from 
it  the  lesson  which  God  meant  to  teach 
him. 

Eden  {e'den),  pleasantness.  1.  The  home 
of  Adam  and  Eve  before  their  fall.  Gen. 
2  :  15.  Its  site  has  not  been  fixed.  Two  of 
its  rivers  are  identified,  the  Euphrates,  and 
j  the  Hiddekel  or  Tigris  ;  the  others  are  dis- 
puted. Some  say  Gihon  was  the  Nile  and 
Pison  the  Indus.  The  best  authorities 
agree  that  the  "  garden  of  Eden  eastward  " 
Vv-as  somewhere  in  the  highlands  of  Ar- 
menia, or  in  the  valley  of  the  Euphrates, 
but  its  precise  location  cannot  be  deter- 
mined. The  Bible  begins  with  a  beautiful 
picture  of  Eden,  the  paradise  of  innocence 
on  earth,  and  closes  with  an  equally  beauti- 
ful picture  of  the  more  glorious  paradise  of 
the  future,  with  its  river  of  life  and  tree  of 
hfe.  Rev.  22 : 2.  2.  A  region  conquered 
by  the  Assyrians,  2  Kings  19  :  12 ;  Isa.  37  :  12 ; 
probably  "in  Mesopotamia,  near  modern 
Balis,  and  same  as  the  Eden  of  Ezek.  27  :  23. 
3.  The  house  of  Eden.  Amos  1 : 5.  See 
Beth- e  den. 

Edom  (e'dom),  red.  Called  also  Idumsea 
and  Mount  Seir.  Gen.  32 : 3  ;  36  : 8 ;  19  :  21. 
The  country  extended  from  the  Dead  Sea 
southward  to  the  Gulf  of  Akabah,  and  from 
the  valley  of  the  Arabah  eastward  to  the 
desert  of  Arabia,  being  about  125  miles  long 
and  30  miles  wide.  It  was  given  to  Esau, 
and  called  the  field  or  land  of  Edom.  Gen. 
32  : 3 ;  36  :  16 ;  Num.  33  :  37.  The  countr>-  is 
well  watered,  rich  in  pasturage,  abounding 
with  trees  and  flowers,  reminding  us  of 
Isaac's  nrophecv  :  "  Thy  dwelhngs  shall  be 
the  fatness  of  the  earth."  Gen.  27  :  39.  Its 
principal  towns  were  Bozrah,  Elath,  Maon, 
Ezion-geber,  Selah  or  Petra.  Its  destruc- 
tion was  proclaimed.  Isa.  34  : 5-8 ;  63 : 1-4  ; 
Jer.  49  :  17  ;  Ezek.  25  :  12-14 ;  Amos  1 :  10, 11. 
See  Esau  and  Idumsea. 

Edrei  {ed're-i)  strength,  stronghold.  1.  A 
capital  citv  of  Bashan.  Num.  21 :  33  ;  Deut. 
1:4;  3  : 1-10 ;  Josh.  12  :  4.  It  was  in  the 
territorv  of  Manasseh  beyond  (east  of)  Jor- 
dan. Num.  32  :  33.  It  is  not  noticed  in 
later  Bible  history,  although  it  was  an  im- 
portant city  until  the  seventh  century  of 
the  Christian  era.  Its  ruins,  called  Der'at, 
cover  a  circuit  of  three  miles.  Among  the 
I  ruins  are  remains  of  churches,  temples, 


EGLON 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


EGYPT 


and  mosques.  The  place  has  now  about 
500  population.  2.  A  town  of  Naphtali. 
Josh.  19 :  37.  Porter  identifies  it  with  Tel 
Khuraibeh,  near  Kedesh;  Conder,  with 
Ydter. 

legion  {?g'lon),  calf-like.  1.  King  of  the  Mo- 
abites,  who  held  the  Israelites  in  bondage 
eighteen  years.  Judg.  3  :  14.  He  formed 
an  alhance  mth  the  Ammonites  and  Ama- 
lekites,  and  took  possession  of  Jericho, 
where  he  resided,  and  where  he  was  after- 
ward assassinated  by  Ehud.  See  Ehud. 
2.  An  Amorite  town  in  Judah.  Josh.  10  : 3-5  ; 
15  :  39 ;  now  'Ajlan,  a  hill  of  ruins,  ten  miles 
northeast  of  Gaza. 

Egypt  {e'jipt).  This  is  one  of  the  oldest 
and  most  remarkable  countries  in  ancient 
history,  famous  for  its  pyramids,  sphinxes, 
obehsks,  and  ruins  of  temples  and  tombs. 
In  early  times  it  reached  a  high  state  of 
culture  in  art  and  hterature,  and  is  of  great 
interest  to  Jew  and  Christian  as  the  early 
home  of  the  Israelites  and  of  their  great 
lawgiver  Moses.  Our  notice  of  it  must  be 
confined  to  its  relations  to  Bible  events, 
and  to  those  facts  in  its  history  that  throw 
light  on  the  Scripture.  In  Hebrew,  Egypt 
is  called  Mizraim,  a  dual  form  of  the  word, 
indicating  the  two  di\isions  — Upper  and 
Lower  Egypt,  or  (as  Tayler  Lewis  suggests), 
the  two  strips  on  the  two  sides  of  the  Nile. 
It  is  also  known  as  the  Land  of  Ham,  Ps. 
105:23,  27,  and  Eahab,  "the  proud  one." 
Ps.  87  :  4 ;  89  :  10 ;  Isa.  51  :  9.  The  Coptic 
and  older  title  is  Kemi,  or  Chemi,  meaning 
black,  from  the  dark  color  of  the  soil.  The 
name  Egypt  first  occurs  in  its  Greek  form 
in  Homer,  and  is  apphed  to  the  Nile  and 
to  the  country,  but  afterward  it  is  used  for 
the  country  only.  Egypt  is  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  Africa  and  hes  on  both  sides 
of  the  Nile.  In  ancient  times  it  included 
the  land  watered  by  the  Nile  as  far  as  the 
First  Cataract,  the  deserts  on  either  side  be- 
ing included  in  Arabia  and  Libya.  Eze- 
kiel  indicates  that  Egypt  reached  from 
Migdol,  east  of  the  Suez  Canal,  to  Syene, 
now  Assouan,  on  the  border  of  Nubia,'  near 
the  First  Cataract  of  the  Nile.  Ezek.  29 : 
10,  margin.  The  length  of  the  country  in 
a  straight  Une  from  the  Mediterranean  to 
the  First  Cataract  is  about  520  miles ;  its 
breadth  is  from  300  to  450  miles,  and  its  en- 
tire area  is  about  212,000  square  miles. 
Nubia,  Ethiopia,  a  nd  other  smaller  districts 
bordering  on  the  Nile  to  the  south  of  Egypt, 
were,  at  times,  under  its  sw^ay.  The 
country  has  three  great  natural  divisions : 
1.  The  Delta.  2.  The  Nile  Valley.  3.  The 
sandy  and  rocky  w^astes.  The  Delta  is  one 
vast  triangular  plain,  chiefly  formed  by 
the  washing  down  of  mud  and  loose  earth 
by  the  great  river  Nile  and  watered  by  its 
several  mouths,  and  by  numerous  canals. 
The  Delta  extends  along  the  Mediterranean 
for  about  200  miles  and  up  the  Nile  for 
100  miles.  The  Tanitic  branch  of  the  Nile 
is  on  the  east  of  the  Delta,  and  the  Canopic 
branch  on  the  west,  though  the  Delta  is 
now  limited  chiefly  to  the  space  between 
the  Rosetta  and  the  Damietta  branches, 
which  is  about  90  miles  in  extent. 

Climate. — The  summers  are  hot  and  sul- 


try, the  winters  mild ;  rain,  except  along 
the  Mediterranean,  is  very  rare,  the  fertil- 
ity of  the  land  depending  ahnost  entirely 
upon  the  annual  overflow  of  the  Nile,  or 
upon  artificial  irrigation  by  canals,  water- 
wheels,  and  the  shadoof.  Winds  are  strong, 
those  from  a  northerly  source  being  the 
most  prevalent,  while  the  simoon,  a  violent 
whirlwind  and  hurricane  of  sand,  is  not 
infrequent.  The  soil,  when  watered,  is 
fertile,  and  fruits,  vegetables,  plants,  and 
nuts  are  abundant.  The  papyrus  reed  Avas 
that  from  which  paper  was  made.  The 
reeds  have  disappeared,  as  Isaiah  predicted. 
Isa.  19  :  6,  7.  Domestic  and  Avild  animals 
were  numerous,  including  the  crocodile 
and  hippopotamus,  and  vulture,  hawk, 
hoopoe  (a  sacred  bird),  and  ostrich  were 
common.  Fhes  and  locusts  were  sometimes 
a  scourge.    Joel  2 : 1-11. 

Inscriptions.— The  hieroglyphic  signs  on 
the  monuments  are  partly  ideographic  or 
pictorial,  partly  phonetic.  The  liifro- 
glyphic,  the  shorter  hieratic,  and  the  de- 
motic alphabets  were  deciphered  by  Cham- 
pollion  and  Young  by  means  of  the  famous 
trilingual  Rosetta  Stone,  discovered  in  1799, 
and  the  Coptic  language,  which  is  essen- 
tially the  same  with  the  old  Egyptian.  For 
a  summary  of  the  respective  merits  of 
Young  and  Champollion  with  regard  to  the 
interpretation  of  Egyptian  hieroglyphics,  see 
Alhbone's  Dictionary  of  Authors,  vol.  3,  p. 
2902.  The  process  of  decipherment  w^as, 
briefly,  as  follows:  the  Rosetta  Stone  had 
an  inscription  in  three  characters,  hiero- 
glyphic, demotic,  and  Greek.  The  Greek, 
which  was  easily  read,  declared  that  there 
were  two  translations— one  in  the  sacred, 
the  other  in  the  popular  language  of  the 
Egyptians,  adjacent  to  it.  The  demotic  part 
was  next  scrutinized,  and  the  groups  deter- 
mined which  contained  the  word  Ptolemy. 
These  were  compared  with  other  framed 
symbols  on  an  obeUsk  found  at  Philfe,  and 
after  a  time  the  true  interpretation  of  these 
signs  discovered,  so  that  scholar  can  now 
read  most  of  these  hieroglyphic  signs  with 
great  accuracy. 

History. — The  ancient  historj^  of  Egj-pt  has 
been  divided  into  three  periods  byleading 
w^riters  :  the  old  monarchy,  extending  from 
the  foundation  of  the  kingdom  to  the  in- 
vasion of  the  Hyksos ;  the  middle,  from  the 
entrance  to  the  expulsion  of  the  Hyksos ; 
and  the  new,  from  the  re-estabUshment  of 
the  native  monarchy  by  Amasis  to  the  Per- 
sian conquest.  Manetho  enumerates  30 
dynasties  as  having  ruled  in  Egypt  before 
Alexander  the  Great,  probably  several  of 
them  at  the  same  time,  but  over  separate 
parts  of  the  country.  JVIanetho  y\a9.  an 
Egyptian  priest  wdio  lived  in  the  era  of  the 
Ptolemies  in  the  third  centurj'  b.  c.  His 
work  (a  historj'  of  Egypt,  written  in  Greek) 
is  lost,  but  his  list  of  dynasties  has  been 
preserved  in  later  writers.  The  beginning 
of  the  first  dynasty  in  his  list  is  fixed  by 
Lepsius  in  3892  b.  c.,  but  by  Bockh  in  5702 
B.  c.  1.  The  old  monarcliy  :  Memphis  was 
the  most  ancient  capital,  the  foundation  of 
which  is  ascribed  to  ^lenes,  the  first  historic 
king  of  Egypt.  The  most  memorable  epoch 
77 


EGYPT 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


EGYPT 


in  the  history  of  the  old  monarchy  is  that 
of  the  Pyranud  kings,  placed  in  Manetho's 
fourth  dynasty.  Their  names  are  found 
upon  these  monuments  :  the  builder  of  the 
great  pyramid  is  called  Suphis  by  Manetho, 
Cheops  by  Herodotus,  and  Khiifu  or  Shufu 
in  an  inscription  upon  the  pyramid.  The 
erection  of  the  second  pyramid  is  attributed 
by  Herodotus  and  Diodorus  to  Chephren  ; 
and  upon  the  neighboring  tombs  has  been 
read  the  name  of  Khafra  or  Shafre.  The 
builder  of  the  third  pyramid  is  named  My- 
cerinus  by  Herodotus  and  Diodorus ;  and 
in  this  very  pyramid  a  coffin  has  been  found 
bearing  the  name  Menkura.  The  most 
powerful  kings  of  the  old  monarchy  were 
those  of  Manetho's  twelfth  dynasty  ;  to  this 
period  is  assigned  the  construction  of  the 
Lake  of  Moeris  and  the  Labyrinth.  2.  The 
middle  monarchy.  In  this  period  the  no- 
madic horde  called  Hyksos  for  several  cen- 
turies occupied  and  made  Egj-pt  tributarj'^ ; 
their  capital  was  Memphis ;  they  con- 
structed an  immense  earth-camp,  wjiich 
they  called  Abaris ;  two  independent  king- 
doms were  formed  in  Egypt,  one  in  the 
Thebaid,  which  held  intimate  relations 
with  Ethiopia ;  another  at  Xois,  among 
the  marshes  of  the  Kile;  but  finally' the 
Egyptians  regained  their  independence, 
and  expelled  the  Hyksos;  Manetho  sup- 
poses they  were  called  hyksos,  from  hyk, 
a  king,  and  sos,  a  shepherd.  The  Hyk- 
sos fonn  the  fifteenth,  sixteenth  and  sev- 
enteenth dynasties.  Manetho  says  they 
were  Arabs,  but  he  calls  the  six  kings 
of  the  fifteenth  dynasty  Phoenicians.  3.  The 
new  monarchy  "covers  the  eighteenth  to 
the  end  of  the  thirtieth  dynasty.  The  king- 
dom was  consolidated  by  Amosis,  who  suc- 
ceeded in  expelling  the  Hyksos.  The  glori- 
ous era  of  Egyptian  history  was  under  the 
nineteenth  dynasty,  wdien  Sethi  L,  B.  c. 
1322,  and  his  grandson,  Rameses  the  Great, 
B.  c.  1311,  both  of  whom  represent  the  Se- 
sostris  of  the  Greek  historians,  carried  their 
arms  over  the  whole  of  western  Asia  and 
southward  into  Soudan,  and  amassed  vast 
treasures,  'v\hich  were  exyjended  on  pubUc 
works.  Under  the  later  kings  of  the  nine- 
teenth dynasty  the  power  of  Egypt  faded  : 
but  with  the  twenty-second  we  again  enter 
upon  a  period  that  is  interesting  from  its 
associations  with  bibUcal  history.  The  first 
of  this  dynasty,  Sheshonk  I.,  b.  c.  990,  was 
the  Shishak  who  invaded  Judea  in  Peho- 
boam's  reign  and  pillaged  the  temple.  1 
Kings  14  :  25.  Probably  his  successor,  Osor- 
kon  I.,  is  the  Zerah  of  Scripture,  defeated 
by  Asa.  The  chronology  and  dates  in 
Egyptian  historj-  are  very  unsettled  and  in- 
definite. The  two  noted  authorities  on  this 
subject — M.  Mariette  and  Prof  Lepsius— 
difl'er  over  1100  years  in  their  tables  as  to 
the  length  of  dynasties  I. ,— XVII.  and  others 
var J'  in  their  computations  about  3000  years 
as  to  the  length  of  the  empire.  Some  have 
conjectured  that  Menes,  the  founder  of 
Egj-pt,  was  identical  with  Mizraim,  a  grand- 
son of  Noah.  Gen.  10  : 6.  So  probably  the 
same  with  Shebek  II.,  who  made  an  alliance 
with  Hoshea,  the  last  king  of  Israel.  Teh- 
Tak  orTirhakah  fought  Sennacherib  in  sup- 
78 


port  of  Hezekiah.  After  this  a  native  dy- 
nasty—the twenty -sixth — of  Saite  kings 
again  occupied  the  throne.  Psametek  I.  or 
Psammetichus  I.,  b.  c.  664,  warred  in  Pales- 
tine, and  took  Ashdod  (Azotus)  after  a  siege 
of  29  years.  Neku  or  Necho,  the  son  of 
Psammetichus,  continued  the  war  in  the 
east,  and  marched  along  the  coast  of  Pales- 
tine to  attack  the  king  of  Assyria.  At  Me- 
giddo  Josiah  encountered  Irirn,  b.  c.  608-7. 
2  Chron.  35  :  21.  The  army  of  Kecho  was 
after  a  short  space  routed  at  Carchemish  by 
Nebuchadnezzar,  b.  c.  605-4.  Jer.  46  : 2.  The 
second  successor  of  Necho,  Apries,  or  Pha- 
raoh-hophra,  sent  his  army  into  Palestine  to 
the  aid  of  Zedekiah,  Jer.  87  : 5,  7,  11,  so  that 
the  siege  of  Jerusalem  was  raised  for  a  time. 
There  is,  however,  no  certain  account  of  a 
complete  subjugation  of  Eg>-pt  by  the  king 
of  Babylon.  Amosis,  the  successor  of 
Apries,  had  a  long  and  prosperous  reign, 
and  somewhat  restored  the  weight  of 
Egypt  in  the  East.  But  Persia  proved  more 
terrible  than  Babylon  to  the  house  of  Psam- 
metichus, and  the  son  of  Amosis  had 
reigned  but  six  months  when  Cambyses  re- 
duced the  countrj'  to  the  condition  of  a 
province  of  his  empire,  b.  c.  525. 

Egypt  and  the  Bible. — To  the  Bible-reader 
the  chief  points  of  interest  in  Egyptian  his- 
tory are  those  jjeriods  when  that  country 
came  in  contact  with  the  patriarchs  and 
the  Israehtes.  The  visit  of  Abraham  to 
Egypt.  Gen.  12  :  10-20.  This  visit  took 
place,  according  to  the  Hebrew  (or  short) 
chronolog>%  about  b.  c.  1920,  w'hich  would 
bring  it,  according  to  some,  at  the  date  of 
the  Hyksos,  or  Sheyjherd-kings ;  others  re- 
gard this  as  too  late  a  date,  and  put  it  in 
the  beginning  of  the  twelfth  dynasty  ;  and 
his  favorable  reception  is  supjjosed  to  be  il- 
lustrated by  a  picture  in  the  tombs  at 
Beni  Hassan  (where  are  many  remarkable 
sculptures),  representing  the 'arrival  of  a 
distinguished  nomad  chief  with  his  family, 
seeking  protection  under  Osirtasen  II.  Next 
is  the  notice  of  Joseph  in  Egypt.  Gen.  37  : 
36.  This  beautiful  and  natural  story  has 
been  shown  to  be  thoroughly  in  accord 
with  what  is  known  of  Egyptian  customs 
of  that  age.  Inscriptions  on  the  monu- 
ments speak  of  the  dreams  of  Pharaoh ; 
the  butler's  and  baker's  duties  are  indi- 
cated in  pictures ;  one  of  the  oldest  papyri 
relates  the  story  that  a  foreigner  was  raised 
to  the  highest  rank  in  the  court  of  Pharaoh  ; 
and  Dr.  Brugsch  believes  an  inscription  on 
a  tomb  at  el-Kab  to  contain  an  unmistak- 
able allusion  to  the  seven  years  of  famine 
in  Joseph's  time,  as  follows:  "I  gathered 
grain,  a  friend  of  the  god  of  harvest.  I  was 
watchful  at  the  seed-time.  And  when  a 
famine  arose  through  many  years,  I  distrib- 
uted the  grain  through  the  town  in  every 
famine."  The  greatest  point  of  interest  is, 
perhaps,  the  period  of  oppression  of  the  Is- 
raelites in  Egypt,  and  the  Exodus.  Ex.  1 : 
8-22  ;  12  :  41.  Who  was  the  Pharaoh  of  the 
oppression,  and  who  the  Pharaoh  of  the 
Exodus?  To  this  two  answers  are  given 
by  different  scholars  :  1.  Amosis  or  Aahmes 
L,  the  first  ruler  of  the  eighteenth  dynasty, 
is  identified  with  the  Pharaoh  of  the  op- 


EGYPT 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


EGYPT 


pression,  and  Thothmes  II.,  about  100  years 
later,  as  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus,  by- 
Canon  Cook.  2.  That  Rameses  II.,  the 
third  sovereign  of  the  nineteenth  dynasty, 
is  the  Pharaoli  of  the  oppression,  and  Me- 
nephthah  the  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus.  The 
question  is  unsettled,  leaning  now  to  earlier 
date.  Rameses  II.  is  the  Sesostris  of  the 
Greeks,  who  blended  him  with  his  father, 
Sethi  I.,  or  Sethos.  He  ruled  67  years  and 
was  the  great  conqueror  and  builder,  cov- 
ering his  empire  with  monuments  in  glory 
of  himself.  "His  name,"  says  Dr.  Ebers, 
"  may  be  read  to-day  on  a  hundred  monu- 
ments in  Goshen."  Among  his  many  struc- 
tures noted  on  monuments  and  in  papyri 
are  fortitications  along  the  canal  from  Go- 
shen to  the  Red  Sea,  and  particularly  at 
Pi-tum  and  Pi-rameses  or  Pi-ramessu ;  these 
must  be  the  same  as  the  treasure-cities  Pi- 
thom  and  Rameses,  built  or  enlarged  by 
the  IsraeUtes  for  Pharaoh.  Ex.  1 :  11.  He- 
rodotus tells  us  that  a  son  and  successor  of 
Sesostris  undertook  no  warlike  expeditions 
and  was  smitten  with  bhndness  for  ten 
years  because  he  "impiously  hurled  his 
spear  into  the  overflowing  waves  of  the 
river,  which  a  sudden  wind  caused  to  rise 
to  an  extraordinary  height."  SchafFsays: 
"  This  reads  hke  a  confused  reminiscence 
of  the  disaster  at  the  Red  Sea."  The  chief 
objection  to  this  view  is  that  it  allows  less 
than  315  years  between  the  Exodus  and  the 
building  of  Solomon's  temple ;  but  the 
present  uncertainties  of  the  Hebrew  and 
Egyptian  chronologies  deprive  the  objec- 
tion of  great  weight.  After  the  Exodus 
the  Israehtes  frequently  came  into  con- 
tact with  Egypt  at  various  periods  in 
their  history.  Through  an  Egyptian,  Da- 
vid recovered  the  spoil  from  the  Ama- 
lekites,  1  Sam.  30  :  11,  etc. ;  Solomon  made 
a  treaty  with  king  Pharaoh  and  married 
his  daughter,  1  Kings  3:1;  Gezer  was 
spoiled  by  Pharaoh  and  given  to  Solomon's 
wife,  1  Kings  9  :  16 ;  Solomon  brought 
horses  from  Egypt ;  Hadad  fled  thither  for 
refuge,  as  did  also  Jeroboam,  1  Kings  10  :  28  ; 
11 :  17  ;  12  : 2  ;  Shishak  plundered  Jerusalem 
and  made  Judsea  tributary,  1  Kings  14 :  25, 
and  a  record  of  this  invasion  and  conquest 
has  been  deciphered  on  the  walls  of  the 
great  temple  at  Karnak,  or  el-Kamak.  In 
this  inscription  is  a  figure  with  a  strong  re- 
semblance to  Jewish  features,  w^hich  bears 
Egyptian  characters  that  have  been  trans- 
lated "the  kingof  Judah."  Pharaoh-necho 
was  met  on  his  expedition  against  the  As- 
syrians by  Josiah,  who  was  slain.  2  Kings 
23  :  29, 30.  Pharaoh-hophra  aided  Zedekiah, 
Jer.  37  : 5-11,  so  that  the  siege  of  Jerusalem 
was  raised,  but  he  appears  to  have  been 
afterward  attacked  by  Nebuchadnezzar. 
The  sway  of  Egypt  was  checked  and  finally 
overcome  by  the  superior  power  of  Baby- 
lonia, and  its  entire  territory  in  Asia  was 
taken  away.  2  Kings  24  :  7  ;  Jer.  46  : 2.  The 
books  of  the  prophets  contain  many  decla- 
rations concerning  the  wane  and  destruc- 
tion of  the  Egyptian  power,  which  have 
been  remarkably  fulfilled  in  its  subsequent 
historv.  See  Isa.  19  ;  20 ;  30 :  3  ;  31 : 3 ;  36  : 
6;   Jer.  2:36;   9:25,26;  43:11-13;  44::30; 


46 ;  Ezek.  29 ;  30  ;  31 ;  32 ;  Dan.  11 :  42  ;  Joel 
3  :  19  ;  and  "  the  sceptre  of  Egypt  shall  de- 
part away."  Zech.  10 :  11.  In  the  New  Tes- 
tament there  are  several  references  to  the 
relations  of  the  Israelites  to  Egypt  as  they 
existed  in  Old  Testament  times;  see  Acts 
2  :  10  ;  7  :  9-40  ;  Heb.  3  :  16  ;  11 :  26,  27 ;  but 
the  interesting  fact  in  the  New  Testament 
period  was  the  flight  of  the  holy  family 
into  Egypt,  wliere  the  infant  Jesus  and  his 
parents  found  a  refuge  from  the  cruel  order 
of  Herod  the  Great.  Matt.  2  :  13-19.  Among 
the  various  other  allusions  to  Egypt  in  the 
Bible  are  those  to  its  fertihty  and  produc- 
tions. Gen.  13  :  10  ;  Ex.  16  :3  ;  Num.  11  :  5  ; 
to  its  mode  of  irrigation  as  compared  with 
the  greater  advantages  of  Canaan,  wliich 
had  rain  and  was  watered  by  natural 
streams,  Deut.  11:10;  its  commerce  with 
Israel  and  the  people  of  w^estern  Asia,  Gen. 
37  :  25,  36 ;  1  Kings  10  :  28,  29 ;  Ezek.  27  :  7  ; 
its  armies  equipped  with  chariots  and 
horses,  Ex.  14 : 7 ;  Isa.  31  :  1 ;  its  learned 
men  and  its  priests.  Gen.  41 : 8 ;  47  :  22 ;  Ex. 
7  :  11 ;  1  Kings  4  :  30 ;  its  practice  of  em- 
balming the  dead.  Gen.  50  :  3 ;  its  aversion 
to  shepherds,  and  its  sacrifices  of  cattle. 
Gen.  46  :  34 ;  Ex.  8  :  26 ;  how  its  people 
should  be  admitted  into  the  Jewish  Church, 
Deut.  23  : 7,  8 ;  the  warnings  to  Israel  against 
any  alliance  with  the  Egyptians,  Isa.  30  : 2 ; 
36 : 6 ;  Ezek.  17  :  15 ;  29  : 6 ;  and  to  the  towns 
of  the  country.  Ezek.  30  :  13-18.  The  rec- 
ords on  existing  monuments  have  been 
found  to  confirm  the  accuracy  of  all  these 
allusions  to  the  customs  of  the  people. 

Ruins. — "  Egypt  is  the  monumental  land 
of  the  earth,"  says  Bunsen,  "as  the  Egyp- 
tians are  the  monumental  people  of  his- 
tory." Among  the  most  interesting  ancient 
cities  are:  (o)  On  or  Heliopolis,  "the  city 
of  the  sun,"  ten  miles  northeast  of  Cairo, 
where  there  was  an  obelisk  of  red  granite 
68  feet  high,  and  erected  previous  to  the 
visit  of  Abraham  and  Sarah  to  the  land 
of  the  Pharaohs.  Formerly  the  obehsks 
of  Cleopatra  stood  here  also,  but  were  re- 
moved to  Alexandria  during  the  reign  of  Ti- 
berius ;  and  one  of  them  now  stands  on  the 
banks  of  the  Thames,  London,  and  another 
in  Central  Park,  New  York.  Joseph  was  mar- 
ried at  Heliopolis,  Gen.  41 :  45,  and  there, 
according  to  Josephus,  Jacob  made  his 
home ;  it  was  probably  the  place  where 
ISIoses  received  his  education,  where  Herod- 
otus acquired  most  of  his  skill  in  writing 
history,  and  where  Plato,  the  Greek  philos- 
opher^ studied.  (6)  Thebes  "of  the  hun- 
dred gates,"  one  of  the  most  famous  cities 
of  antiquity,  is  identified  with  No  or  No- 
Ammon  of  Scripture.  Jer.  46  :  25 ;  Ezek. 
30  :  14-16  ;  Nah.  3  : 8.  The  ruins  are  very 
extensive,  and  the  city  in  its  glory  stretched 
over  thirty  miles  along  the  banks  of  the 
Nile,  covering  the  places  now  known  as 
Luxor,  Karnak,  and  Thebes,  (c)  Memphis, 
the  Noph  of  Scripture.  Jer.  46  :  19.  "  Noth- 
ing is  left  of  its  temples  and  monuments 
but  a  colossal  statue  of  Rameses  II.,  lying 
mutilated  on  the  face  in  the  mud."  The 
temples  at  Karnak  and  Luxor  are  the  most 
interesting,  the  grandest  among  them  all 
being  the  magnificent  temple  of  " 
79 


EHUD 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ELDER 


II.  There  are  ruins  of  temples  at  Dende- 
rah,  Abydos,  Philse,  Heliopolis,  and  at  Ip- 
samboul,  170  miles  south  of  Philse,  in  Nu- 
bia. Among  the  noted  tombs  are  those 
at  Thebes,  Beni-Hassan,  and  Osiout,  and 
among  the  obelisks  are  those  at  Luxor, 
Karnak,  Heliopohs,  and  Alexandria.  In  a 
cave  near  Thebes  39  royal  mummies  and 
various  other  objects  were  discovered  in 
1881.  Amojig  the  mummies  was  that  of 
Eameses  II.,  the  Pharaoh  of  the  oppression, 
which  has  been  fully  described  by  Maspero. 
These  wonderful  ruins  attest  the  magnifi- 
cence and  grandeur,  but  also  the  absolute 
despotism  and  slavery,  of  this  land  in  the 
earliest  ages  and  as  far  back  as  before  the 
days  of  Abraham,  and  they  also  attest  in 
the  most  impressive  manner  the  fulfillment 
of  prophecy.  Over  2000  years  it  has  been 
without  "a  prince  of  the  land  of  Egypt," 
Ezek.  30:13;  and  "the  basest  of  the  king- 
doms."   Ezek.  29 :  15. 

Eliud  (e'hud),  union.  1.  The  second 
judge  or  judicial  ruler  of  the  Hebrews,  who 
assassinated  Eglon,  and  delivered  them 
from  the  oppression  which  they  had  suf- 
fered for  eighteen  years  under  the  Moab- 
ites.  He  was  a  Benjamite,  strong,  and  left- 
handed.  Judg.  3:12-30;  4:1.  2.  A  de- 
scendant of  Benjamin.  1  Chron.  7  :  10  ; 
8:6. 

Ekron  (Sk'ron),  emigration.  The  most 
northerly  of  the  five  cities  of  the  Philistines, 
Josh.  13  : 3  ;  in  the  lowlands  of  Judah,  Josh. 
15  :  11 ;  conquered  by  Judah,  Josh.  15 : 
45 ;  allotted  to  Dan,  Josh.  19  :  43  ;  recon- 
quered by  Samuel,  1  Sam.  5  :  10  ;  7  :  14 ;  again 
a  Phihstine  citv,  1  Sam.  17  :  52  ;  2  Kings  1 : 
2 ;  Jer.  25  :  20 ;  Amos  1:8;  Zech.  9:5;  now 
called  Akir,  on  a  hill  12  miles  southeast  of 
Joppa,  a  wretched  village  of  about  50  mud 
hovels.  The  prophecy  has  been  fulfilled, 
"  Ekron  shall  be  rooted  up."    Zeph.  2  :  4. 

Elali  [c'lah),  terebinth,\'alley  of.  1.  Where 
David  slew  Goliath.  1  Sam.  17  : 2,  19  ;  21 : 9. 
It  is  now  called  Wady  es-Sunt,  or  "Acacia 
Valley,"  14  miles  southwest  of  Jerusalem. 
The  valley  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  wide, 
and  has  steep  sides  rising  to  a  height  of 
about  500  feet.  The  torrent  or  brook  has  a 
deep  channel  in  the  middle  of  the  valley, 
and  its  course  is  strewn  with  smooth  white 
stones.  Terebinth  trees,  which  gave  the 
original  title  to  the  valley,  are  still  found 
there.  2.  The  name  of  six  persons  in  early 
biblical  history. 

Elam  {c'lam).  1.  A  country  peopled  by 
the  descendants  of  Shem,  and  called,  after 
his  son,  Elam.  Gen.  10  :  22.  It  lay  south  of 
Assyria  and  west  of  Persia  proper,  and 
reached  to  the  Persian  Gulf.  Herodotus 
called  it  Cissia.  It  was  a  province  of  Per- 
sia, of  which  Susa  was  capital.  Ezra  4:9; 
Dan.  8  :  2.  Elam  was  a  strong  power  in 
Abram's  time.  Gen.  14  : 9.  Its  people  aided 
in  the  destruction  of  Babylon,  Isa.  21  : 2  ; 
invaded  Israel,  22  : 6.  Its  destruction  was 
foretold.  Jer.  49  :  34-39 ;  25  :  25 ;  Ezek.  32  : 
24,  25.  A  remarkable  statement  illustrating 
the  truth  of  the  Scriptures  in  respect  to 
Elam  has  been  deciphered  from  Assyrian 
cyUnders  in  the  British  Museum.  2.  The 
name  of  six  persons  in  the  Old  Testament. 
80 


Elath  {e'latli),  trees,  a  grove,  perhaps  tere- 
binth-grove. A  city  of  Idumea,  on  the  ex- 
tremity of  the  eastern  Gulf  of  the  Red  Sea, 
which  is  called  from  it  Sinus  Elaniticus — 
Elanitic  Gulf,  or  the  Gulf  of  Akabah.  Deut. 
2  : 8 ;  2  Kings  14  :  22 ;  16  :  6.  The  Edomites 
being  subdued,  2  Sam.  8  :  14,  David  took 
possession  of  Elath  or  Eloth ;  and  after  him 
Solomon,  whose  fleet  sailed  from  the  neigh- 
boring town  Ezion-geber  to  Ophir.  1  Kings 
9  :  26 ;  2  Chron.  8  :  17,  18.  It  was  again  re- 
covered by  the  Idumeans ;  and  once  more 
subdued  by  Uzziah,  king  of  Judah ;  but 
Rezin,  king"  of  Syria,  took  it  at  length  from 
the  Jews,  who  seem  never  again  to  have 
recovered  it.  The  site  of  Elath,  the  Allah 
and  ^lana  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans,  now 
consists  of  nothing  but  extensive  mounds 
of  rubbish,  near  the  castle  and  village  of 
Akabah. 

Eldad  (ll'ddd),  whom  God  loves,  meaning 
same  as  Theophilus.  One  of  the  70  to  whom 
the  prophetical  spirit  of  Moses  was  com- 
municated. He  with  Medad  did  not  go 
with  the  rest  to  the  tabernacle,  but  prophe- 
sied in  the  camp.  Joshua  therefore  begged 
Moses  to  forbid  them.    Num.  11 :  24-29. 

Elder.  We  find  the  "  eldest  servant "  of 
Abraham's  house  "  ruling  over  all  that  he 
had,"  Gen.  24  :2 ;  Ave  have  also  mention  of 
"the  elders  of  Joseph's  house,"  and  the 
"elders  of  the  land  of  Egypt,"  Gen.  50  :7, 
obviously  indicating  the  chiefs  of  Joseph's 
establishment,  and  high  Egyptian  officers. 
Moses  was  desired  to  convey  the  divine 
message  to  "  the  elders  of  Israel,"  Ex.  3  :  16; 
and  they  were  both  to  accompany  him 
when  he  demanded  freedom  from  Pharaoh, 
and  also  to  be  the  means  of  communication 
between  Moses  and  the  mass  of  the  people. 
Ex.  3  :  18  ;  4  :  29 ;  12 :  21.  We  are  not  told  who 
these  elders  were,  probably  the  leading 
persons  in  each  tribe.  We  find  them  after 
the  departure  from  Egypt,  Ex.  17  : 6 ;  19  :  7  ; 
and  from  these,  70  were  selected  for  special 
worship  with  Moses,  Aaron,  Nadab,  and 
Abihu.  Ex.  24 : 1,  2,  9-11.  Moses  had,  at  the 
suggestion  of  Jethro,  appointed  officers  to 
administer  justice,  Ex.  18  :26,  but  he  seems 
to  have  required,  further,  a  body  of  (if  they 
may  be  so  called)  political  advisers.  Ac- 
cordingly 70  out  of  the  general  class  of 
elders  were  chosen,  approved  men ;  and 
on  these  the  divine  Spirit  was  especially 
poured.  Num.  11 :  10-30.  Possibly  it  was 
from  this  example  that  the  Sanhedrin  was 
afterwards  constituted.  There  were  "el- 
ders" of  neighboring  nations,  synonymous 
with  "princes,"  as  of  Moab  and  Midian, 
Num.  22  :  7,  13,  and  of  the  Hivites.  Josh. 
9  :  11.  And  we  find  the  institution  remain- 
ing in  Israel  through  the  whole  history, 
under  every  change  of  government,  and  a 
certain  authority  exercised  by  them  to 
which  the  people  submitted.  Sometimes 
they  are  mentioned  as  local  magistrates, 
presiding  over  separate  tribes  or  districts, 
and  sometimes  as  the  superior  class,  it  is 
hkely,  acting  generally  for  the  nation. 
Deut.  19 :  12  ;  21 : 2,  3,  6 ;'  31 :  28 ;  Josh.  9  :  15, 
18-21 ;  24 : 1 ;  Judg.  2:7;  8  :  14 ;  11 : 5 ;  1  Sam.. 
4  : 3 ;  8 :4  ;  16  : 4 ;  30  :  26  ;  2  Sam.  17  : 4 ;  19  : 
11 ;  1  Kings  12  : 6  ;  20  :  8 ;  21 :  11 ;   2  Kings 


ELEALEH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ELIHO 


10 :1,  5 ;  1  Chron.  21 :  16  ;  Ezra  5:5;  6:7, 
14 ;  10 : 8, 14 ;  Jer.  29  : 1 ;  Ezek.  8 : 1, 12.  Those 
who  locally  administered  justice  are  said 
to  have  been  termed  "  elders  of  the  gate," 
Prov.  31 :  23 :  Lam.  5  :  14 ;  because  that  was 
the  place  where  a  court  was  often  held. 
Ruth  4 : 2, 4,  9, 11.  Elders  are  mentioned  in 
Maccabean  times,  apparently  distinct  from 
the  Sanhedrin,  1  Mace.  7  :  33  ;  12  :  6.  In 
the  New  Testament  history  they  are  asso- 
ciated with  the  chief  priests  and  scribes, 
but  yet  not  to  be  confounded  with  them. 
Matt.  16 :  21 ;  21 :  23 ;  26  :  59  ;  27  :  41.  And  an 
analogous  class  yet  subsists  among  Arab 
tribes,  viz.,  their  sheikhs,  a  word  implying 
"  old  men."  Officers  of  the  Christian  church 
are  designated  by  elders.  Acts  14 :  23  ;  20  :  17  ; 
and  regulations  are  given  in  regard  to  them, 
1  Tim.  5  : 1,  17,  19  ;  the  Greek  word  for 
elder  being  presbuteros.  In  every  congre- 
gation of  beUevers,  as  gathered  by  the 
apostles,  a  number  of  elders  were  ordained. 
Acts  14 :  23 ;  20  :  17  ;  Titus  1 :  5.  Their  duty 
was  to  feed,  oversee  and  look  after  the 
flock.  Thev  were  called  elders,  overseers, 
or  bishops.  Acts  20 :  28 ;  1  Tim.  3:5:1  Pet. 

5  : 1,  3  ;  Heb.  13  :  17,  showing  that  their  du- 
ties were  similar.  Titus  1 :  5,  7  ;  Acts  20 :  28  ; 
Phil.  1 : 1.  The  injunction,  "  Let  the  elders 
that  rule  well  be  counted  wortliy  of  double 
honor,  especially  they  who  labor  in  the 
word  and  doctrine,"  shows,  that  the  office, 
as  ruler  and  teacher,  is  united.  1  Tim.  3  : 
2 ;  5  :  17  ,  Rom.  12 :  8  ;  1  Thess.  5  :  12,  13 :  1 
Pet.  5:2;  Titus  1 :  9.  They  were  local  offi- 
cers of  congregations,  sometimes  called 
bishops  or  overseers.  See  Acts  20 :  17,  28 ; 
Titus  1 : 5  flf. ;  1  Pet.  5 : 1.  The  distinction  in 
Scripture  between  the  teaching  and  the 
ruhng  elder  is  not  very  clear,  unless  it  can 
be  found  in  1  Tim.  5 :  17. 

Elealeli  {e-le-d'leh),  ivhither  God  ascends. 
A  city  east  of  Jordan ;  given  to  the  Reu- 
benites.  Num.  32  :  3,  37 ;  afterward  possessed 
by  Moab,  Isa.  15  : 4  ;  16  :  9 ;  Jer.  48  :  34  ;  now 
el-A'al,  "the  high,"  one  mile  northeast  of 
HeshlDon. 

Eleazar  {e'le-d'zar  or  e-le'a-zar),  whom 
God  helps.    1.  The  third  son  of  Aaron.    Ex. 

6  :  23-25  ;  28 : 1.  After  the  death  of  his 
brothers  Nadab  and  Abihu,  he  was  placed 
at  the  head  of  the  Levites,  Num.  3  :  ;32,  and 
subsequently  succeeded  his  father  as  high 
priest.  Num.  20  :  28.  He  was  then  united 
with  Moses  in  the  divine  communications, 
Num.  26 : 1,  and  with  Joshua,  who  was 
solemnly  inaugurated  before  him.  Num. 
27  :  18-23.  Eleazar  entered  Canaan,  and, 
ic  conjunction  with  Joshua,  divided  it 
among  the  tribes.  Josh.  14 : 1 ;  17  :  4  ;  21 : 1. 
His  death  is  mentioned.  Josh.  24 :  33,  but 
not  the  time  of  it :  perhaps  it  was  near  that 
of  Joshua.  He  was  succeeded  as  high  priest 
by  his  son  Phinehas.  2.  The  son  of  Abina- 
dab  of  Kirjath-jearim,  "sanctitied"  or  ap- 
pointed to  take  charge  of  the  ark  after  its 
restoration  by  the  Philistines.    1  Sam.  7  : 1. 

3.  A  son  of  Dodo,  and  one  of  David's  chief 
warriors.     2  Sam.  23 : 9  ;    1  Chron.  11 :  12. 

4.  A  Levite  of  the  family  of  IMerari,  who 
had  no  sons,  only  daughters.  1  Chron.  23  : 
21,  22  ;  24 :  28.  5."  A  Levite  who  helped  to 
weigh  the  vessels  that  Ezra  brought  to  Jeru- 


salem. Ezra  8:33.  6.  One  who  had  mar- 
ried a  foreign  wife.  Ezra  10  :  25.  7.  A  priest 
who  took  part  in  the  dedication  of  the  wall 
of  Jerusalem.  Neh.  12 :  42.  8.  A  person 
named  among  our  Lord's  ancestry.  Matt. 
1:15. 

El-Elolie -Israel  (el'e-lu'he-lz-ra-eT),  God, 
the  God  of  Israel.  The  name  bestowed  by 
Jacob  on  the  altar  which  he  erected  facing 
the  city  of  Shechem.    Gen.  33 :  19,  20. 

Eli  (e'li),  siDunut,  tlie  higliest,  according  to 
some, adopted  of  the  Lord.  A  noted  high  priest 
and  judge  of  Israel.  He  was  of  the  lamily  of 
Ithamar,  Aaron's  youngest  son  ;  for '  his 
descendant  Ahimelech  or  Abiathar,  1  Sam. 
14  :  3  ;  22 :  20  ;  2  Sam.  8  :  17,  is  expressly  said 
to  be  of  that  house.  1  Chron.  24 :  3.  We 
do  not  know  how  or  when  the  high 
priesthood  passed  from  Eleazar's  family 
to  that  of  Ithamar ;  but  because  of  Eli's 
sin  in  not  restraining  his  ungodly  sons,  it 
reverted  again  to  the  elder  hue.  1  Sam.  2 ; 
22-25 ;  1  Kings  2  :  35.  With  the  exception 
of  this  great  fault,  of  wiiich  he  was  repeat- 
edly warned,  Eh  appears  to  have  been  a 
holy  man.  To  him  was  committed  the 
charge  of  Samuel  the  prophet  when  a  child. 
And  his  anxiety  for  the  ark  of  God,  car- 
ried with  the  Israehtish  army  to  battle,  is 
graphically  depicted  in  the  sacred  history. 
He  sat  watching  for  news  in  the  open  road ; 
and  when  he  heard  the  disastrous  hitelli- 
gence,  the  death  of  his  two  sons,  and,  worst 
of  all,  the  capture  of  the  ark  by  the  Phil- 
istines, he  who  could  have  borne  the 
desolation  of  his  own  house  sa:ik  down  in 
grief,  and  his  neck  brake,  and  he  died.  He 
was  98  years  old,  and  had  judged  Israel  40 
years;  some  of  these  years  probably  in- 
cluding the  time  of  Samuel.  1  Sam.  1-4. 
Part  of  the  fulhllmeut  of  the  threatening 
against  Eli's  house  is  noted  in  1  Kings  2  :  27. 

Eliab  (e-fi'ofe),  to  whom  God  is  father.  The 
eldest  son  of  Jesse,  1  Sam.  17  :  13,  and  a  man 
of  angry  and  envious  temper,  as  appears 
from  his  treatment  of  his  brother  David. 
There  are  in  all  six  persons  of  this  name 
mentioned  in  the  Bible. 

Eliakim  {e-ll'a-khn),  ivhom  God  establishes. 
1.  The  master  of  the  household  of  Hezekiah, 
and  one  of  the  commissioners  appointed  to 
treat  with  the  king  of  Assyria.  2  Kings  18 : 
18,  26,  37  ;  19  : 2 ;  Isa.  22 :  20 ;  36  :  3,  11,  22 ; 
37  : 2.  2.  The  son  and  successor  of  Josiah, 
king  of  Judah.  His  name  was  changed  to 
Jehoiakim.  2  Kings  23  :  34 ;  2  Chron.  :36  : 4. 
There  are  five  persons  of  this  name  men- 
tioned in  the  Bible. 

Eliezei'  {e'li-e'zer).  To  whom  God  is 
help.  Gen.  15:2.  A  name  which  occurs 
11  times  in  the  Old  Testament.  The  most 
distinguished  person  who  bore  it  was 
Abraham's  steward  and  confidential  ser- 
vant.   Compare  Gen.  24 : 2. 

Elihii  {e-ll'hu  or  H'i-hu),  whose  God  is  He, 
i.e.,  Jehovah.  1.  The  Buzite,  a  friend  of 
Job,  and,  perhaps,  the  arbitrator  between 
him  and  his  three  acquaintances  who  had 
come  to  sympathize  with  him  in  liis  calam- 
ities. The  soothing,  yet  faithful  and  hon- 
est, discourse  of  Ehhu  is  finely  contrasted 
with  the  sharp  and  severe  language  of  the 
other  three ;  and  especially  are  Ms  wisdom, 


ELIJAH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ELISHA 


piety,  and  benevolence  admirable,  when 
we  consider  his  youth,  and  the  character 
and  standing  of  those  whom  he  addressed. 
Job  32-37.  Four  other  persons  of  the  same 
name  are  mentioned  in  the  old  Testament. 
Elijah  {e-ll'jah),  my  God  is  Jehovah.  1. 
That  most  renowned  prophet  of  Israel  who, 
with  no  introduction  as  to  his  birth  or 
parentage,  or  even  account  of  the  divine 
commission  given  to  him,  bursts  forth  in 
sacred  story  as  the  stern  denouncer  of 
judgment  on  apostate  Israel,  and  who, 
after  his  marvelous  course  of  miracle  and 
bold  vindication  of  God's  authority,  is 
translated  without  tasting  death.  He  first 
appears  as  a  messenger  from  God  to  Ahab, 
the  wicked  king  of  Israel,  probably  in  the 
tenth  year  of  his  reign.  He  was  sent  to 
prophesy  three  years'  drought  in  the  land 
of  Israel.  After  delivering  this  starthng 
and  distressing  prophecy,  he  was  directed 
to  flee  to  the  brook  Cherith,  where  he  was 
miraculously  fed  by  ravens.  When  the 
brook  had  dried  up  he  was  sent  to  a  widow 
woman  of  Zarephath,  and  again  the  hand 
of  the  Lord  supphed  his  wants  and  those 
of  his  friends.  He  raised  the  widow's  son 
to  hfe.  1  Kings  17.  After  the  famine  had 
lasted  the  predicted  period,  Elijah  en- 
countered Ahab,  and  then  ensued  the  mag- 
nificent display  of  divine  power  and  of 
human  trust  upon  the  ridge  of  Carmel.  1 
Kings  18.  See  Ahab.  The  reaction  from 
such  a  mental  strain  left  the  prophet  in  a 
weak,  nervous  condition,  and  in  a  fit  of 
despondency  he  fled  from  Jezebel  into  the 
"wilderness"  and  desired  death.  In 
Mount  Sinai  the  downcast  man  of  God  was 
witness  of  Jehovah's  strength  and  expe- 
rienced Jehovah's  tenderness  in  a  very  re- 
markable vision.  1  Kings  19  :  9-18.  He 
anointed  Elisha  to  be  prophet  in  his  room. 
1  Kings  19.  He  then  retired  into  privacy, 
but  after  the  dastardly  murder  of  Naboth 
he  suddenly  appeared  before  the  guilty 
king  and  announced  the  judgment  of  Je- 
hovah against  the  royal  pair.  1  Kings  21. 
Several  years  after  occurred  the  prophecy 
of  Ahaz'iah's  death.  2  Kings  1 :  1-4.  See 
Ahaziah.  The  slaughter  by  fire  of  the  two 
companies  of  troops  sent  to  take  Elijah 
must  have  greatly  increased  the  popular 
awe  of  the  prophet.  Ehjah  was  translated 
to  heaven  in  a  miraculous  manner.  2 
Kings  2.  The  character  of  Elijah  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  the  Jews.  He  was 
expected  to  return  to  earth  as  the  forerun- 
ner of  Messiah ;  an  expectation  encouraged 
by  the  remarkable  prophecy,  Mai.  4 : 5,  6, 
already  referred  to.  The  prophecy  was  in- 
deed fulfilled,  but  not  in  the  way  they  im- 
agined. John  Baptist,  though  not  person- 
ally Elijah,  John  1 :  21,  was  to  go  before 
the  Messiah  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  the 
ancient  prophet,  Luke  1 :  17  ;  and  thus  our 
Ijord  himself  explained  the  matter  to  his 
disciples.  Matt.  17  :  10-13.  There  was,  it  is 
true,  a  personal  appearance  of  Elijah  with 
Moses,  when  the  two  in  glory  stood  beside 
the  transfigured  Saviour  on  the  holy  mount, 
and  talked  with  him  of  his  coming  death— 
a  proof  how  both  the  law  and  tlie  proi)h- 
ets  pointed  to  a  Redeemer  suffering  ere  he 


was  triumphant.  Matt.  17 : 1-8 ;  Mark  9:2-^; 
Luke  9 :  28-36.  There  are  those  who  be- 
lieve that  the  prediction  of  Elijah's  coming 
has  not  yet  had  its  full  accomplishment ; 
and  they  expect,  before  the  second  appear- 
ing of  the  Lord,  that  the  old  stern  prophet 
of  Gilead,  who  never  died,  will  tread  the 
earth  again.  Such  a  question,  however, 
cannot  be  discussed  here. 

Elisabeth  (e-liz'a-beth),  God  her  oath,  that 
is,  worshipper  of  God.  The  wife  of  Zacha- 
rias,  and  mother  of  John  the  Baptist.  She 
was  of  a  priestly  family,  and  ateo  the  cousin 
of  the  Virgin  Mary.  She  is  described  us 
being,  with  her  husband,  a  person  of  piety, 
"  walking  in  all  the  commandments  aiid 
ordinances  of  the  Lord  blameless."  Luke 
1 : 5-66. 

Elisha  (e-ll'shah),  God  his  salvation.  A 
distinguished  propnet  of  Israel  and  succes- 
sor of  Elijah.  The  acts  of  his  earlier  min- 
istry are  related  at  considerable  length. 
He  "is  first  mentioned  as  the  son  of  Shaphat, 
the  agriculturist  of  Abel-meholah  in  the 
valley  of  the  Jordan.  While  occupied  in 
guiding  the  plow  he  received  the  call  of 
Elijah,  and  appears  ever  after  to  have  at- 
tended on  him.  1  Kings  19  :  16,  19-21 ;  2 
Kings  3  :  11.  How  deep  the  affection  was 
with  which  he  regarded  his  master,  the 
narrative  of  Elijah's  last  days  on  eaith  suf- 
ficiently testifies.  At  his  translation  Ehsha 
asked  a  double  portion  of  the  departing 
prophet's  spirit,  secured  his  falling  mantle, 
and  had  speedily  full  proof  that  the  Lord 
God  of  EUjah  was  with  him.  2  Kings  2 : 1- 
15.  Ehsha,  though  a  young  man,  was  bald. 
The  young  persons  mocked  at  the  great 
miracle  just  performed.  Why  should  not 
the  bald  head  go  up  after  his  master  ?  the 
world  would  be  well  rid  of  both.  Such 
profanity  must  have  an  instant  significant 
punishment.  And  at  the  word  of  the 
prophet,  speaking  in  God's  name,  she- 
bears  destroyed  a  number  of  these  mock- 
ers. 2  Kings  2 :  23-25.  Many  would  hear 
and  fear,  and  learn  to  reverence  God's  am- 
bassador. He  was  the  counsellor  and  friend 
of  successive  kings.  He  was  the  opposite 
to  Ehjah  in  most  things.  He  lived  in  tlie 
city  or  with  his  students,  honored  and 
sought  for,  a  welcome  guest  in  the  homes 
he  graced  by  his  presence.  And  yet  he 
was  filled  with  a  "  double  "— i.  e.,  an  elder 
brother's— portion  of  Ehjah's  spirit,  both  to 
work  miracles  and  to  give  counsel  for  pres- 
ent and  future  emergencies.  He  multiphed 
the  widow 's  oil,  2  Kings  4  : 5-8,  and  when 
the  son  of  the  good  Shunammite— God's 
reward  to  her  for  her  kindness  to  his 
prophet--died,  he  raised  him  to  hfe.  2 
Kings  4  :  8-37.  He  cured  Naaman,  smote 
Gehazi  with  leprosy,  misled  the  Syrians, 
foretold  abundant  food,  and  when  dying 
gave  the  knig  the  promise  of  victory.  2 
Kings  5  to  8.  But  God  would  still  put  honor 
on  his  servant.  He  was  buried,  and  after- 
wards, when  Moabite  bands  were  ravaging 
the  country,  and  some  one  was  to  be  car- 
ried to  the"  tomb,  the  attendants,  surprised 
by  the  spoilers,  hastily  thrust  the  corpse 
into  Elisha's  sepulchre.  But  no  sooner  had 
it  touched  the  great  prophet's  bones  than 


EMBALMING 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


EPHESIANS 


the  dead  man  lived  again.  2  Kings  13  :  20. 21. 
Truly,  by  all  these  wondrous  works  it  was 
abundantly  proved  that  there  was  a  God  in 
Israel. 

Embalming.  A  process  by  which 
dead  bodies  are  preserved  from  decay. 
When  Jacob  died  in  Egypt,  "  Joseph  com- 
manded his  servants,  the  physicians,  to 
embalm  his  father,  for  burial  in  Ca- 
naan." The  process  occupied  forty  days. 
Joseph  also  was  himself  embalmed,  that 
his  body  might  be  carried  with  the 
children  of  Israel  when  they  left  Egypt  for 
Palestine.  Gen.  50 : 2,  3,  26.  It  does  not 
appear  that  the  Hebrews  practiced  the  mode 
of  embalming  of  the  Egyptians.  Still  some 
partial  process  was  employed,  tending  to 
soothe  surviving  friends  by  arresting  or  de- 
laying natural  corruption.  Thus  Asa  was 
laid  in  a  bed  "  filled  with  sweet  odors  and 
divers  kinds  of  spices  prepared  by  the 
apothecaries'  art."  2  Chron.  16  :  14.  Also  the 
women  who  had  followed  Jesus  "bought 
sweet  spices,  that  they  might  come  and 
anoint  him,"  Mark  16 : 1 ;  Luke  23  :  56 ;  and 
Nicodemus  "brought  a  mixture  of  myrrh 
and  aloes,"  and  "wound"  the  body  "in 
hnen  clothes  with  the  spices,  as  the  man- 
ner of  the  Jews  is  to  bury."  John  19  :  39, 
40.  In  some  instances,  too,  the  later  Jews 
embalmed  a  body  in  honey,  after  having 
covered  it  with  wax.  SeeBissell,  Bib.  Antiq. 

Emerald.  Perhaps  the  glowing.  Avery 
precious  gem  of  a  pure  green  color,  to  which 
it  owes  its  chief  value,  as  the  deepest  col- 
ors are  the  most  esteemed.  Ex.  28  :  18  ; 
Ezek.  27  :  16 ;  28 :  13.  The  emerald  was  an- 
ciently obtained  from  Egj'pt.  Probably  it 
corresponds  to  the  carbuncle. 

Emerods.  1  Sam.  5  :  6,  9.  R.  V.  "tu- 
mours." The  name  of  a  painful  disease 
sent  upon  the  Philistines ;  probably  it  re- 
sembled the  modern  disease  of  the' bleed- 
ing piles.  It  was  customary  with  the 
heathens  to  offer  to  their  gods  figures  of 
wax  or  metal  representing  the  parts  wliich 
had  been  cured  of  disease,  whence  it  is  in- 
ferred, in  connection  with  1  Sam.  6  : 5,  that 
the  priests  and  diviners  of  the  Phihstines 
recommended  a  similar  course. 

Emims  (c'mimz),  R.  V.  "the  Emim" 
{e'mim),  terrors.  A  race  of  giants  Uving 
east  of  the  Dead  Sea ;  related  to  the  Ana- 
kim.    Gen.  14  : 5  ;  Deut.  2  :  10, 11. 

Emmanuel.    See  Immanuel. 

Emmaus  {em-md'us  or  an'ma-Us),  hot 
springs.  A  village  near  Jerusalem,  where 
two  disciples  entertained  Jesus  after  his 
resurrection.  Luke  24  :  13.  Its  site  has 
been  disputed ;  among  the  places  suggested 
are  :  1.  'Amwds,  on  the  plain  of  Phihstia,  22 
miles  from  Jerusalem  and  10  miles  from 
Lydda.  2.  Kuryet  el  'Enob,  by  Robinson, 
3  hours  from  Jerusalem,  on  the  road  to 
Jaffa.  3.  KuLonieh,  2  leagues  or  A]4  miles 
Avest  of  Jerusalem.  4.  Urtds,  a  poor  village 
about  2  miles  southwest  of  Bethlehem.  5. 
In  the  fourteenth  century  Emmaus  was 
placed  at  Kubeibeh,  a  little  over  7  miles 
northwest  of  Jerusalem. 

Endor  {M'dor  or  in'dor),  spring  of  Dor. 
A  place  in  Issachar,  possessed  by  Manasseh, 
Josh.  17  :  11,  where  Sisera  and  Jabin  were 


slain,  Ps.  83 : 9,  10,  and  where  Saul  con- 
sulted the  witch.  1  Sam.  28  : 7.  It  is  now 
a  miserable  village  called  Endor,  about  63^ 
miles  from  Jezreel. 

Engedi  {tn-ge'dl  or  in'ge-dl),  fountain  of 
the  kid.  A  place  in  Judah,  on  tlie  west  side 
of  the  Dead  Sea,  Josh.  15  :  62  ;  Ezek.  47  :  10, 
about  mid^vay  between  its  northern  and 
southern  ends.  En-gedi  was  first  called 
Hazazon-tamar,  Gen.  14  : 7 ;  2  Chron.  20  : 2 ; 
it  was  David's  hiding-jjlace  from  Saul,  1 
Sam.  23  :  29  ;  24 : 1 ;  and  where  David  cut 
off  the  skirt  of  Saul's  robe,  24  : 4  ;  its  vine- 
yards are  mentioned,  Song  of  Sol.  1  :  14 ; 
now  called  'Ain  Jidy. 

Enoch  (e'nok),  initiating  or  initiated,  i.  e., 
dedicated.  1.  A  son  of  Cain.  Gen.  4 :  17, 
18.  2.  One  of  the  most  eminent  of  the  an- 
tediluvian patriarchs,  the  son  of  Jared  and 
father  of  Methuselah.  He  has  this  remark- 
able testimony,  "  that  he  walked  with 
God ; "  an  expression  denoting  near  com- 
munion with  the  Lord,  and  conformity  to 
his  will.  And  "he  was  not;  for  God  took 
him,"  that  is,  like  Elijah  in  subsequent 
times,  "  he  was  translated  that  he  should 
not  see  death."  His  life  was,for  the  period  in 
which  he  hved,  a  short  one  upon  earth,  365 
years ;  but  it  was  a  Ufe  of  faith,  pleasing  in 
the  eye  of  his  Maker.  Gen.  4 :  18-24 ;  Luke 
3  :  37 ;  Heb.  11 : 5.  Jude  cites  a  prophecy  of 
Enoch.  Heb.  14.  In  1  Chron.  1 : 3,  Enoch 
is  called  Hanoch. 

Enon,  or  ^non  {e'non),  springs.  A  place 
near  Sahm  where  John  was  baptizing. 
John  3  :  23.  Three  sites  have  been  proposed 
for  it  :  1.  The  traditional  one,  by  Jerome, 
about  8  miles  south  of  Beisan ;  not  con- 
firmed by  later  authorities.  2.  In  Wady 
Farah,  5  miles  northeast  of  Jerusalem.  3. 
The  more  probable  site  is  east  of  Xablfis, 
near  the  village  SaUm,  where  there  are 
copious  springs. 

En-rogel  {in'ro'gel),  fountain  of  the  fuller. 
A  spring  near  Jerusalem.  Josh.  15  :  7  ;  18 : 
16 ;  2  Sam.  17  :  17,  21 ;  1  Kings  1 : 9.  Some 
place  it  at  the  "  well  of  Job,"  in  the  valley 
of  Hinnom.  M.  Ganneau  would  identify 
it  with  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin. 

Epapliroditus  {e-pdf'ro-dVtus),  Venus- 
like,  beautiful.  A  Christian  who  was  sent 
from  Philippi  with  contributions  for  Paul, 
while  prisoner  at  Rome.  There  he  was 
sick ;  and  a  delightful  view  is  afforded  of 
the  apostle's  tenderness  of  spirit  by  the 
way  in  which  he  speaks  of  one  so  dear  to 
himself,  and  to  the  PhiUppian  behevers. 
Phil.  2 :  25-30  ;  4  :  18.  He  was  the  bearer  of 
the  epistle  to  Philippi.  Some  have  imag- 
ined that  he  was  identical  with  Epaphras, 
because  the  one  name  is  a  contracted  form 
of  the  other ;  but  we  have  no  sufficient 
grounds  for  such  a  conclusion. 

Epliali.    See  Measures. 

Ephesians  [efe'zhanz).  The  citizens  of 
Ephesus.  Acts  19  :  28.  The  Epistle  to  the 
Ephesians  was  written  by  Paul  to  the  Chris- 
tians at  Ephesus.  The  church  in  that  re- 
nowned city  was  established  and  built  up 
under  Paul's  ministry,  Acts  18  :  19,  21 ;  19, 
during  the  years  54-57  A.  d.  This  letter  was 
written  by  the  apostle  about  a.  d.  62,  while 
he  was  in  prison  at  Rome,  and  forwarded 
83 


fiPHESUS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ESAU 


by  Tychicus,  a  beloved  brother  and  faithful 
minister.  Eph.  6  :  21.  While  other  epistles 
of  Paul  were  evidently  called  forth  by  the 
circumstances  of  the  church  to  wliich'they 
were  addressed,  this  epistle  is  of  a  general 
character,  and  was  intended  for  a  number 
of  congregations  in  Asia  ^Minor.  The  main 
doctrinal  thought  of  the  epistle  is  the 
church  in  Christ  Jesus,  the  eternal  princi- 
ples of  her  life,  her  unity  of  many  mem- 
bers, her  warfare  and  her  victorj%  her  steady 
gi-owth  and  her  glorious  end.  Hence,  iii 
the  hortatorj-  portion  or  last  three  chapters, 
he  urges  the  duty  of  preserving  unity,  and 
makes  the  relation  of  Christ  to  his  church 
and  of  the  church  to  Christ  the  ideal  stand- 
ard of  the  domestic  relation  between  man 
and  wife  and  parents  and  cliildren. 

Ephesus  (efe-sus).  The  commercial  city 
of  Asia  Minor,  "  one  of  the  eyes  of  Asia." 
It  stood  upon  the  south  side  of  a  plain,  with 
mountains  on  three  sides  and  the  sea  on 
the  west.  The  river  Cayster  ran  across  the 
plain.  Paul  visited  Ephesus  on  his  second 
tour,  Acts  18  :  19-21 ;  Apollog  was  instructed 
there  by  Aquila  and  Priscilla,  Acts  18 :  24-26 ; 
Paul  dwelt  there  three  years.  Acts  19 ; 
charged  the  elders  of  the  church,  Acts  20  : 
16-28 ;-  the  angel  of  the  church  of  Ephesus 
is  named  in  Kev.  2  : 1-7.  The  city  is  now 
desolate :  the  ruins  of  the  stadium  and 
theatre  remain. 

Ephod.  A  vestment  appropriated  to  the 
high  priest.  Ex.  28:4-35.  See  High  Priest. 
An  ephod  is  said  to  have  been  worn  by 
Samuel,  1  Sam.  2  :  18,  by  the  ordinarv  priests, 
1  Sam.  22 :  18,  and  by  David,  2  Sam.  6  :  14  ; 
1  Chron.  15  :  27  ;  but  this  vesture  dilfered 
from  the  high  priest's,  both  in  the  extraor- 
dinarj'  ornaments  of  the  latter,  and  also  in 
the  material.  The  hnen  of  the  high  priest's 
ephod  is  described  by  another  and  pecu- 
liar word.  When  idolatrous  worsliip  was 
set  up,  ephods  were  sometimes  made  for  it. 
Judg.  8  :  27  ;  17  : 5 ;  18  :  14,  17,  18,  20. 

Epliraim  {e'Jra-lm),  double  land,  tivo-fold 
increase,  very  fruitful.  The  second  son  of 
Joseph,  bom  in  Egypt  before  the  famine, 
Gen.  41 :  50-52,  and  therefore  upwards  of  20 
at  Jacob's  death.  Joseph,  when  he  was  ap- 
prised of  his  father's  sickness,  was  anxious 
to  obtain  the  recognition  of  his  sons  Manas- 
seh  and  Ephraim.  Jacob  adopted  them  as 
patriarchs,  or  heads  of  tribes,  equally  with 
his  own  sons.  But  he  placed  the  younger, 
Ephraim,  before  the  elder,  Manasseh,  "guid- 
ing his  hands  wittingly,"  in  spite  of  Jo- 
seph's remonstrance,  and  prophetically  de- 
claring that  the  posterity  of  Ephraim  should 
be  far  greater  and  more  powerful  than 
the  ix)sterity  of  Manasseh.  Gen.  48.  The 
territory  of  Ephraim  lay  In  the  centre  of 
Canaan',  south  of  Manasseh  and  north  of 
Benjamin  and  Dan,  extending  from  the 
Jordan  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  It  was 
about  55  miles  long,  and  about  30  miles  in 
its  greatest  breadth.  It  was  well  watered 
and  fertile,  fulfilhng  the  blessing  of  Moses 
in  Deut.  33  :  13-16. 

Ephraim,  Gate  of.    One  of  the  gates  of 

ancient  Jerusalem,  2  Kings  14 :  13 ;  2  Chron. 

25 :  23  ;  Neh.  8  :  16  ;  12  :  39  ;  probably  on  the 

north  side,  as  the  present  Damascus  gate  is. 

84 


I  Ephraim,  Mount.  A  name  appUed  to 
I  the  hill-country  of  Ephraim,  extending 
from  Bethel  to  the  plain  of  Jezreel ;  called 
also  the  "  mountains  of  Israel,"  R.  V.  "  hill 
country  of  Israel,"  Josh.  11 :  21,  and  "  moun- 
tains of  Samaria."    Jer.  31 : 5,  6 ;  Amos  3 : 9. 

Ephraim,  Wood  of.  A  forest  in  which 
the  great  battle  was  fought  when  Absalom 
was  killed.  2  Sam.  18  :  6.  It  lay  east  of  the 
Jordan,  in  Gilead,  near  Mahanaim.  Thick 
woods  of  oaks  and  terebinths  stiU  exist  in 
that  region. 

Ephratah  {Tf'ra-tah,  or  e-frd-fah),  or 
E  p  li  r  a  t  li  (f/  rath,  or  e'frath),  fruitful.  1. 
Second  wife  of  Caleb,  the  son  of  Hezron, 
mother  of  Hur  and  grandmother  of  Caleb, 
the  spv,  according  to  1  Chron.  2 :  19,  50,  and 
probably  24,  and  4:4.  B.  c.  1695.  2.  The 
ancient  name  of  Bethlehem-judah.  Gen. 
35  :  16,  19 ;  48 : 7. 

Epicureans  (^p'i-kii^e'anz,  or  tp'i-kii're- 
anz).  A  sect  of  philosophers  which  derived 
its  origin  from  Epicurus,  of  Athenian  de- 
scent, but  born  in  Samos  341  B.  c.  He 
hved  much  in  Athens,  where  he  had  a 
garden  in  which  he  deUvered  his  lessons  to 
his  disciples ;  he  died  270  b.  c.  In  his  ethics 
Epicurus  denied  that  there  was  a  creator 
of  the  world ;  still  he  believed  that  there 
were  gods,  to  be  worshipped  for  the  excel- 
lence of  their  nature  :  they  lived  in  quiet, 
and  did  not  interfere  with  the  government 
of  the  universe.  He  made  good  and  evil 
depend  on  the  increasing  of  pleasure  and 
dimiiushing  of  pain,  or  the  reverse;  es- 
teeming the  pleasures  and  pains  of  the  mind 
superior  to  those  of  the  body,  so  that  a 
happy  life  must  be  a  virtuous  life.  The 
soul,  he  taught,  was  indissolubly  connected 
with  the  body.  Hence  it  will  be  seen  that 
the  dogmas  of  Epicureanism  were  strongly 
in  opposition  to  the  truths  of  the  gospel. 
Consequently  the  Epicureans  at  Athens, 
though  diflfering  from  the  Stoics  in  the  re- 
jection of  absolute  destiny,  and  on  other 
points,  yet  equally  with  them  ridiculed  the 
doctrines  of  Paul.    Acts  17  ;  18. 

Erastus  (e-rcWtus),  amiable.  A  Christian 
chamberlain  or  treasurer  of  Corinth.  Acts 
19  :  22 :  Rom.  16  :  23  :  2  Tim.  4  :  20.  It  is  im- 
possible to  say  whether  these  references  all 
belong  to  the' same  person. 

Erecli  {efrek),  enduring.  A  city  of  Nim- 
rod.  Gen.  10  :  10.  Its  people  are  called 
Archevites  and  noticed  in  connection  with 
the  Babylonians.  Ezra  4  : 9.  Jerome  iden- 
tities Erech  with  Edessa,  in  ■Mesopotamia ; 
others  identify  it  with  Orchoe  or  Orech  of 
the  Greek  arid  Roman  geographers.  It 
corresponded  to  modern  ^^■arka,  about  120 
miles  southeast  of  Babylon. 

Esar-haddon  (c'sar-hdd'don),  son  and 
successor  of  Sennacherib,  king  of  Assyria, 
and  one  of  the  greatest  of  her  kings.  2 
Kings  19 :  37.  He  was  the  builder  of  magnifi- 
cent structures,  including  three  palaces  and 
thirty  temples.  His  reign  extended  from 
B.C.  680  to  667,  and  during  it  Manasseh,  the 
king  of  Judah,  was  taken  prisoner  by  his 
captains  and  carried  before  him  at  Baby- 
lon, and  kept  a  captive  for  some  time.  "  2 
Chron.  33 :  11. 

Esau  {e'saw),  or  Edoin  (e'dom).    Son  of 


ESHCOL 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ETXCCH 


Isaac  and  Rebecca,  and  twin  brother  of  \ 
Jacob.  Gen.  2.5  :  25 ;  36  : 1.  The  most  im- 
portant events  of  his  hfe  are  intimately  I 
connected  with  the  life  of  Jacob.  See  Ja-  \ 
cob.  His  family  settled  on  Mount  Seir. 
east  of  Jordan,  which  was  hence  called 
Edom,  and  his  descendants  were  the  Edom- 
ites,  one  of  the  most  powerful  and  formid- 
able nations  of  that  age.  The  prophecies 
concerning  Esau  and  Edom  have  been  ht- 
erally  fulfilled.  His  family  has  become  ex- 
tinct, "  cut  off  forever,"  so  that  there  is  none 
"remaining  of  the  house  of  Esau,"  Obad. 
18 :  Jer.  49  :  17 :  Ezek.  2.5  :  13,  and  ••  the  things 
of  Esau  "  have  been  "'so  searched  out  and 
his  hidden  things  sought  up,"  Obad.  6,  "that 
not  a  rehc  can  be  found  in  their  ancient 
dwellings."    See  Edom. 

Eshcol  {ish'kol),  bunch,  or  duster,  Valley  ^ 
of.   A  valley  in  the  land  of  Canaan.    Num.  ^ 


13: 


24 ;  32  : 9  :  Deut.  1 :  24.    It  was  in  the 


southern  part  of  this  land  where  Van  Len- 
nep  found  clusters  of  grapes  IS  inches  in 
length,  and  it  is  said  that  bunches  weigh- 1 
ing  from  12  to  20  pounds  are  still  found  in  ! 
southern  Palestine.  ' 

Esther  {^is'ter),  a  star,  the  planet  Venus. 
A  Hebrew  maiden,  the  daughter  of  Abi- 
hail,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  At  the 
death  of  her  father  and  mother  she  was 
adopted  by  her  cousin  3Iordecai,  the  de- 
scendant of  a  Jew  who  had  been  carried 
away  captive  with  Jehoiachin.  Mordecai 
resided  at  Shushan,  or  Susa.  See  3Iorde- 
cai.  On  the  repudiation  of  Vashti,  Ahas-  ! 
uerus,  king  of  Persia,  ordered  a  large  ntim-  ; 
ber  of  young  virgins  to  be  collected  through- 
out his  realm,  and  brought  into  his  harem. 
Esther  (her  Persian  name  was  Hadassah) 
was  distinguished  among  these,  and  was 
chosen  to  bear  the  title  of  queen.  By  her 
iniiuence  the  plot  of  Haman  to  destroy  the 
Jews  was  frustrated.  Haman  was  hanged.  ; 
The  Jews  revenged  themselves  on  their  ! 
foes,  and  Mordecai  was  advanced  to  a  high 
place  in  the  empire.  It  was  common  with 
Persian  kings  to  have  many  wives,  and 
Esther  was  one  of  these. 

Esther,  the  Book  of.    This  book  is  so 
termed  because  Esther  is  the  principal  char-  j 
acter  in  it,  and  not  from  any  notion  that 
she  wrote  it.    It  has  generally  been  held 
in  hi^h  estimation  among  the  Jews,  who 
class  it  with  Kuth,  Ecclesiastes,  Solomon's 
Song,  and  the  Lamentations,  as  the  five  ; 
megilloth  or  rolls,  and  solemnly  read  it  at 
the  feast  of  Purim.    Its  hterarj-"  character  ' 
is  fully  equal  to  the  best  of  the  other  his- 
torical books  of  the  Bible.    The  style  is 
hvely  and  almost  dramatic.    But  the  pe- 
culiarity of  the  book  is  that  the  name  of 
God  does  not   occur   in  any  form.     The  [ 
omission  was  probably  intentional,  and  in  , 
order  to  permit  the  reading  of  Esther  at  ^ 
the  joyous,  even  hilarious,  festival  of  Pu-  . 
rim,  without  irreverence.     The  language  { 
of  the  book  contains  several  Persian  words,  i 
translated  -'satrap,"  "post,"  "  edict,"  "roy- 
al" (not  ••  Garnet;  "  8  :  10,  and  14  read  "  s^vift 
steeds  that  were  used   in  the  king's  ser- 1 
vice,  bred  of  the  stud,"  R.  V.),  "cotton,"  ' 
"crown,"  "nobles,"  "a  copy,"  and  "lot" 
The  circiunstantial  minuteness  of  detail,  . 


the  vividness  of  the  portraits,  the  Persian 
words,  and  the  whole  tone  of  the  book  in- 
dicate that  the  author  was  a  Jew  who 
hved  about  the  time  of  the  events  recorded, 
at  the  court  of  Persia,  where  he  had  access 
to  the  oificial  documents  of  the  kingdom. 
Rawlinson  assigns  the  book  to  a  period 
from  20  to  30  vears  after  Xerxes's  death, 
B.  c.  444r-4:M. 

Etaru  (e'tam),  the  Kock.  The  place  of 
Samson's  retreat  after  the  slaughter  of  the 
Philistines.  Judg.  15 :  8.  11.  Conder  locates 
it  at  Beit  'Atab,  a  Uttle  norih  of  Eshu'a 
(Eshtaol),  which  he  thinks  fuUy  meets  all 
the  requisites  of  the  case.  It  has  clefts, 
caves,  and  a  rock  tunnel  which  would  so 
effectually  conceal  one  that  those  not  ac- 
quainted with  the  place  might  not  find 
him,  nor  even  the  entrance  to  the  tunnel, 
except  by  accident. 

Ethiopia  (f/fhi-r/pi-ah),  burnt-faces. 
Called  Cush  by  the  Hebrews,  a  country 
south  of  Eg\-pt.  Ezek.  29  :  10.  In  the  Scrip- 
tures ••Ethiopia"  usually  refers  to  the  re- 
gion extending  from  Egypt  southward  be- 
yond the  juncrion  of  the  ^\Tiite  and  Blue 
Nile.  This  was  Seba.  Isa.  43 : 3,  and  known 
to  the  Romans  as  the  kingdom  of  Meroe. 
The  countn*  is  rolling  and  mountainous, 
the  elevation  increasing  toward  the  south, 
imtil  it  reaches  a  height  of  about  8000  feet 
in  Abyssinia.  Frequent  nonces  of  this 
country-  and  its  people  are  found  in  the 
Bible.  "  It  was  settled  by  the  children  of 
Ham,  Gen.  10  : 6,  dark-skinned  men  of  stat- 
ure. Jer.  13  :  23 ;  Isa.  45  :  14.  They  were 
selected  as  members  of  royal  households. 
Jer.  38 : 7-13.  The  treasurer  of  its  queen, 
Candace.  was  baptized  by  Philip.  Acts  8 : 
•27-38.  It  is  noticed  in"  connecrion  with 
Egypt,  Isa.  213  :  4 ;  43  :  3  ;  45  :  14 :  with 
Libya  (Phut).  Jer.  46 :  9 :  Lydia  and  Chub 
(Lub  and  Lud),  Ezek.  30 : 5,  and  the  Suk- 
kiim.  2  Chron.  12  :  3.  Moses  married  an 
Ethiopian,  Niun.  12 : 1 ;  Ethiopians  were  in 
Shishak's  army,  2  Chron.  12  : 3 :  Zerah,  an 
Ethiopian  king,  had  an  army  of  a  mUhon 
soldiers,  2  Chron.  14 : 9-12 :  Job  mentioned 
the  precious  stones  of  Ethiopia.  Job  -28  :  19 ; 
the  Israehtes  were  famihar  with  the  mer- 
chandise of  that  countrj'.  Isa.  45  :  14 ;  and 
Isaiah  foretold  the  subjugarion  of  Ethiopia 
by  the  Assyrians.  Isa.  20  : 4,  5.  Among 
the  Assyrian  inscriptions  of  Assurbanii)al, 
now  in  the  British  Museum,  George  Smith 
deciphered  several  which  especially  illus- 
trate and  confirm  the  fuLfilhnent  "of  this 
prophecy.  Among  other  prophecies  in  re- 
spect to  Ethiopia  are  Ps.  68  :  31 :  87  :4  :  Isa. 
45  :  14 ;  Ezek.  30 : 4-9 :  Dan.  11 :  43 :  Hab.  3 : 
7 ;  Zeph.  2 :  12 :  Xah.  3 : 8-10.  The  Romans 
in  the  reign  of  Augustus  Csesar.  B.C.  22,  de- 
feated Candace,  queen  of  Ethiopia,  and 
made  the  country  tributary  to  Rome.  Can- 
dace v^as  an  ofl&cial  title  of  the  queens,  one 
of  whom  is  named  in  Acts  8  :  27. 

Eunuch.  2Kings  9:32;  Esther2:3;  Acts 
8 :  27.  In  the  strict  and  proper  sense  eu- 
nuchs were  the  persons  who  had  charge  of 
the  bed-chambers  in  palaces  and  larger 
houses.  But  as  the  jealous  and  dissolute 
temperament  of  the  East  reqmred  this 
charge  to  be  in  the  hands  of  persons  who 
So 


EUPHRATES 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


EXODUS,  THE 


had  been  deprived  of  their  virility,  the 
word  eunuch  came  naturally  to  denote 
persons  in  that  condition.  But  as  some  of 
these  rose  to  be  confidential  advisers  of 
their  royal  masters  or  mistresses,  the  word 
was  occasionally  employed  to  denote  per- 
sons in  such  a  position,  without  indicating 
anything  respecting  their  manhood.  The 
word  "eunuch"  is  employed  by  Christ,  Matt. 
19 :  12,  in  various  senses  to  designate :  1. 
Those  who  are  naturally  incapacitated  ;  2. 
Those  who  have  been  mutilated  ;  3.  Those 
who  voluntarily  abstain  from  marriage  in 
order  to  devote  themselves  more  exclusively 
to  tlie  interests  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Euphrates  {eu-/rd'tez),  the  abounding. 
A  noted  river,  the  largest  in  western  Asia ; 
rises  in  Annenia  in  two  sources.  Its  whole 
length  is  1780  miles.  It  is  navigable  for 
large  ships  to  Bassora,  70  miles  above  its 
mouth ;  a  steamer  drawing  four  feet  of  wa- 
ter has  ascended  to  Bir,  1197  miles.  It 
flows  in  a  broad,  deep  current,  filled  to  the 
level  of  its  banks,  and  at  Babylon  is  con- 
siderably less  than  a  mile  in  width.  For 
the  last  800  miles  of  its  course  it  does  not 
receive  a  single  tributary.  The  Tigris  flows 
in  a  narrower  channel,  with  deeper  banks 
and  a  less  rapid  current.  The  country  be- 
tween the  two  rivers  slopes  toward  the  Ti- 
gris, and  thus  greatly  favors  the  draining 
oflt'  of  the  superfluous  waters  of  the  Eu- 
phrates. In  Scripture  the  Euphrates  is 
named  as  one  of  the  rivers  of  Eden,  Gen. 
2 :  14  ;  called  "  the  great  river,"  Gen.  15 :  18 ; 
Deut.  1:7;  noted  as  the  eastern  boundary 
of  the  Promised  Land,  Deut.  11 :  24  ;  Josh. 
1:4;  1  Chron.  5:9;  and  of  David's  con- 
quests, 2  Sam.  8:3:1  Chron.  18  : 3 ;  of  those 
of  Babylon  from  Egypt,  2  Kings  24  : 7 ;  is 
referred  to  in  prophecy,  Jer.  13  :  4-7  ;  46  : 2- 
10  ;  51 :  63  ;  and  in  Rev.  9 :  14 :  16  :  12.  In 
upward  of  26  other  passages  it  is  spoken  of 
as  "  the  river."  By  tliis  stream  the  captive 
Jews  wept.  Ps.  137  : 1.  It  is  now  called  the 
Frat  by  the  natives. 

Euroclydon  (eu-rdk'ly-d6n),  R.  V.  "  Eu- 
raquilo."  Acts  27  :  14.  A  very  tempestuous 
wind  on  the  Mediterranean,  now^  known 
under  the  name  of  a  "  Levanter."  It  blows 
from  all  points,  and  its  danger  results  from 
its  violence  and  the  uncertainty  of  its 
course. 

Evangelist.  One  who  brings  good  tid- 
ings. One  who  travels  as  a  missionary 
everj'where  and  from  house  to  house  to 
teach  and  preach  Jesus  Christ.  Eph.  4  :  11 ; 
Acts  21 :  8 ;  2  Tim.  4:5;  Acts  5  :  42  ;  8  : 4,  35, 
40,  etc.  The  "  w^ork  of  an  evangelist,"  2 
Tim.  4  : 5,  seems  to  have  been  specially  the 
carrying  of  the  gospel-message  to  fiersons 
and  places  previously  unacquainted  with 
it.  Hence,  one  bearing  another  office  might 
be  an  evangelist.  Thus  Phihp,  "one  of 
the  seven,"  is  called  an  "  evangelist."  Acts 
21 :  8.  Evangelists  are  distinguished  from 
"pastors  and  teachers,"  and  placed  before 
them  in  Eph.  4  .  11,  as  being  itinerant : 
whereas  pastors  and  teachers  belonged 
more  to  a  settled  church  ;  they  are  omitted 
in  the  Ust  of  1  Cor.  12  :  28 ;  because  no  ref- 
erence was  there  made  to  missionary  ex- 
tension of  the  church,  but  rather  to  its  in- 
86 


ternal  organization.  Eusebius  speaks  of 
evangelists  as  both  preaching  Christ  and 
circulating  the  record  of  the  holy  gospels. 
Hence,  probably,  the  ordinary  usage  of  the 
word  evangehsts  to  denote  the  writers  of 
the  four  Gospels. 

Eve  [eve),  lije.  The  wife  of  Adam,  and 
mother  of  mankind.  Her  formation,  her 
yielding  to  the  tempter,  and  inducing 
Adam  to  join  her  in  disobedience  to  the 
divine  command,  the  promise  in  respect  to 
her  seed,  and  the  names  she  imposed  on 
three  of  her  sons,  indicating  her  expecta- 
tions and  feeling  in  regard  to  them,  are 
narrated  in  Gen.  2,  3,  4.  See  also  2  Cor.  11 : 
3  ;  1  Tim.  2 :  13,  14. 

Evening,  Ps.  55  :  17,  Even-tide,  Gen. 
24  :  63.  The  Hebrews  reckoned  two  even- 
ings, one  commencing  at  sunset  and  em- 
bracing the  period  of  tw'ilight,  and  the 
other  commencing  at  dark.  Some  suppose 
that  the  first  evening  commenced  as  early 
as  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  sec- 
ond at  sunset.  It  Avas  in  the  interval  be- 
tween the  two  evenings,  at  wliichever  of 
these  periods  it  occurred,  that  the  passover 
V,  as  to  be  killed  and  the  daily  sacrifice  of- 
fered. See  marginal  reading  of  Ex.  12  :  6  ; 
Num.  9  : 3  ;  28 : 4.  "  Even-tide  "  is  the  same 
with  "  evening-time." 

Evil-merodacli  {e'vil-me-ro'dak),  Mero- 
dach's  fool.  But  perhaps  some  name  of 
Persian  or  Assyrian  origin  underlies  this. 
The  son  and  successor  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
He  reigned  two  years,  561-559  B.C.,  and  was 
murdered  by  Nefgal-sharezer  or  Nerighssar, 
who  had  married  his  sister,  and  who  seized 
his  crown.  He  treated  Jehoiachin  with 
kindness :  and  possibly  his  mildness  of  rule 
may  have  given  opportunity  to  the  treason 
which  cut  him  off".  2  Kings  25  :  27-30  ;  Jer. 
52  :  31-34.  But  some  authorities  report  him 
to  have  been  luxurious  and  intemperate. 

Exodvis  (ex'o-dus),  going  out  [of  Egypt]. 
The  second  book  in  the  Old  Testament, 
Its  author  was  ISIoses.  It  Avas  written  prob- 
ably during  the  forty  years'  wanderings  in 
the'  wilderness.  The  first  part  of  the  book 
gives  an  account  of  the  great  increase  of 
Jacob's  posterity  in  the  land  of  Egypt,  and 
their  oppression  under  a  new  dynasty, 
which  occupied  the  throne  after  the  death 
of  Joseph  ;  the  birth,  education,  flight  and 
return  of  ISIoses ;  the  attempts  to  prevail 
upon  Pharaoh  to  let  the  Israehtes  go  ;  the 
signs  and  w^onders,  ending  in  the  death  of 
the  first-born,  by  means  of  which  the  de- 
liverance of  Israel  from  the  land  of  bond- 
age is  at  length  accomplished,  the  institu- 
tion of  the  passover,  and  the  departure  out 
of  Egvpt  and  the  journey  of  the  Israehtes 
to  Mount  Sinai.  The  second  part  gives  a 
sketch  of  the  early  history  of  Israel  as  a 
nation,  set  apart,  and  in  its  religious  and 
political  hfe  consecrated  to  the  service  of 
God. 

Exodus,  the.  The  departure  of  the  Is- 
raelites from  Egypt.  Tlie  Exodus  was  the 
execution  of  a  divine  plan.  God  sent  ten 
plagues  upon  Egypt  in  punishment  for  en- 
slaving the  Israelites.  "And  Pharaoh  rose 
up  in  the  night,  he  and  all  his  servants,  and 
all  the  Egyptians ;  and  there  was  a  great  cry 


EYE,  EYES 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


EZRA 


in  Egj'pt,  for  there  was  not  a  house  where 
there  was  not  one  dead  "  Then  followed 
the  midnight  call  of  Pharaoh  for  Moses 
and  Aaron,  the  command  to  depart,  and  the 
actual  leaving  of  the  house  of  bondage. 
There  are  two  prominent  theories  about  the 
locaUty  and  mode  of  the  miraculous  pas- 
sage of  the  Israelites  through  the  Red  Sea : 
1.  The  usual  theory,  which  locates  the  pas- 
sage several  miles  south  of  Suez,  where  the 
sea  is  about  ten  miles  broad.  This  theory 
fits  in  best  with  the  literal  meaning  of  the 
narrative,  for  in  this  case  the  waters  must 
have  been  actually  divided  for  several 
miles,  and  have  flowed  back  on  either 
hand.  But  the  difficulties  the  view  raises 
are  more  numerous  than  those  it  solves.  2. 
The  second  theory  puts  the  crossing  at  the 
head  of  the  gulf,  near  or  some  distance 
north  of  Suez.  In  Moses's  time  the  gulf 
may  have  extended  as  a  reedy  marsh  as  far 
as  the  Bitter  Lakes.  The  crosang  was  made 
possible  by  a  special  providence  and  a  mi- 
raculous adaptation  of  the  laws  of  nature. 
The  east  or  rather  northeast  wind  drove  off 
the  waters  from  the  small  arm  of  the  sea 
which  runs  up  by  Suez ;  this  would  leave 
the  water  on  the  more  northern  part  of 
the  arm,  so  that  there  would  be  water  on 
both  sides  to  serve  as  an  entrenchment. 
This  would  meet  the  exigences  of  the  nar- 
rative. Ex.  14  :  22.  But  even  in  this  case 
the  passage  of  two  milUons  of  people,  with 
all  their  cattle,  was  a  great  miracle.  It 
has  its  counterpart  in  the  crossing  of  the 
river  Jordan  at  the  end  of  the  journey 
through  the  wilderness. 

Eye,  Eyes.  The  practice  of  putting  out 
the  eyes  as  a  mode  of  punishment  has  been 
in  both  ancient  and  modern  times  very 
common  in  the  East.  Captives  in  war,  and 
those  who  might  be  supposed  likely  to 
head  rebellions  against  the  sovereign  were 
frequently  thus  treated.  Judg.  16  :  21 ;  1 
Sam.  11 : 2  ;  2  Kings  25  :  7.  The  painting 
of  the  eye  was  and  is  usual  among  Eastern 
women.  This  was  what  Jezebel  did,  2 
Kings  9  :  30,  marg.,  R.  V.  "  painted  her 
eyes;"  comp.  Jer.  4:30;  Ezek.  23:40.  A 
pecuhar  brilhancy  is  imparted  to  the  eye, 
and  a  languishing,  amorous  cast  given  to 
the  whole  countenance.  The  ej'eUds  and 
eyebrows  are  thus  painted  with  what  is 
called  kdhL  "  The  powder  from  which  kdhl 
is  made  is  collected  from  burning  almond- 
shells,  or  frankincense,  and  is  intensely 
black.  Antimony  and  various  ores  of  lead 
are  also  employed.  The  powder  is  kept  in 
vials  or  pots,  which  are  often  disposed  in 
a  handsomely  worked  cover  or  case ;  and 
it  is  apphed  to  the  eye  by  a  small  probe  of 
wood,  ivory  or  silver,  wliich  is  called  meet, 
while  the  whole  apparatus  is  named  7mk- 
hidi/." 

Ezek-iel  {e-ze'ki-d),  the  strength  of  God.  A 
prophet  who  was  taken  captive  eleven 
years  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 
He  was  a  member  of  a  community  of  Jew- 
ish exiles  who  settled  on  the  banks  of  the 
Chebar,  a  "  river  "  of  Babylonia.  He  began 
to  prophesy  b.  c.  595,  and  continued  until 
B.  c.  573,  a  period  of  more  than  22  years. 
He  was  married  and  had  a  house,  Ezek.  8  : 


1 ;  24 :  18,  in  his  place  of  exile,  and  lost  his 
wife  by  a  sudden  and  unforeseen  stroke. 
He  was  esteemed  by  his  companions  in  ex- 
ile, and  their  elders  consulted  him  on  all 
occasions.  He  is  reputed  to  have  been  mur- 
dered in  Babylon,  and  his  tomb,  said  to 
have  been  built  by  Jehoiacloin,  is  shown,  a 
few  days'  journey  from  Bagdad.  Ezekiel 
was  noted  for  his  stern  and  inflexible  en- 
ergy of  will  and  character  and  his  devoted 
adherence  to  the  rites  and  ceremonies  of 
his  national  religion. 

The  Book  oJ_  Ezekiel— The  book  of  his 
prophecy  is  divided  into  parts,  of  which 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  the  turning- 
point.  Chapters  1-24  contain  predictions 
dehvered  before  that  event,  and  chaps. 
25-48  after  it,  as  we  see  from  chap.  26 : 2. 
Again  chaps.  1-32  are  mainly  occupied 
with  correction,  denunciation  and  reproof, 
wliile  the  remainder  deal  chiefly  in  conso- 
lation and  promise.  A  parenthetical  sec- 
tion in  the  middle  of  the  book,  chaps.  25- 
32,  contains  a  group  of  prophecies  against 
seven  foreign  nations,  the  septenary  arrange- 
ment being  apparently  intentional.  There 
are  no  direct  quotations  from  Ezekiel  in 
the  New  Testament,  but  in  the  Apocalypse 
there  are  many  parallels  and  obvious  allu- 
sions to  the  later  chapters. 

Ezion-gaber  {e'zi-on-gafher),  or  geber 
{ge-ber),  giant's  backbone.  A  city  on  the 
Red  Sea,  the  last  station  of  the  Israelites 
Ijefore  they  came  to  the  wilderness  of 
Zin,  Num.  33  :  35 ;  Dent.  2:8;  the  station 
of  Solomon's  navy,  1  Kings  9 :  26 ;  2 
Chron.  8 :  17,  and  of  Jehoshaphat's  navv. 
1  Kings  22 :  48.  Probably  it  was  at  'Ain  el- 
Ghudyan,  about  ten  miles  up  what  is  now 
the  dry  bed  of  the  Arabah.  Kiepert  and 
Robinson  suppose  that  the  northern  end  of 
the  gulf  anciently  flowed  up  to  this  point. 

Ezra  (ez'rah),  help.  1.  A  descendant  of 
Judah.  1  Chron.  4 :  17.  2.  A  Jewish  priest 
and  scholar  who  hved  in  Babylon  during 
the  reign  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus,  over 
^\hom  he  had  such  influence  that  in  his 
seventh  year  he  obtained  permission  to  lead 
a  large  company  of  persons  and  go  to  Je- 
rusalem, B.C.  457.  Ezra  7.  In  Jerusalem 
he  carried  through  the  reforms  he  had  in- 
tended, particularly  the  separation  of  the 
"strange  wives."  Ezra  10.  With  an  ac- 
count of  this  important  measure  the  book 
of  Ezra  ends.  The  next  notice  of  him 
is  in  Neh.  8  : 1.  Nehemiah  was  governor 
when  Ezra  entered  Jerusalem  the  second 
time ;  accordingly,  Ezra  attended  only  to 
priestly  duties,  such  as  teaching.  Neh.  8  : 
1.  It  is  unknown  when  he  died.  Jewish 
tradition  makes  him  the  founder  of  the 
great  synagogue,  the  collector  oi  the  books 
of  the  Bible,  the  introducer  of  the  Chaldee 
character  instead  of  the  old  Hebrew,  the 
author  of  Chronicles,  Ezra,  and  Nehemiah, 
and  lastly,  the  originator  of  synagogue 
worship.  And  it  is  very  likely  that  he  was 
the  author  of  these  changes,  or  at  all  events 
that  they  occurred  in  his  time.  The  book 
of  Ezra  covers  about  79  years,  and  should 
be  read  in  connection  with  the  prophecies 
of  Haggai  and  Zechariah.  It  contains  (1) 
chaps.  1-6,  an  account  of  the  return  of 
87 


PACE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


FASTS 


50,000  Jews  under  Zerubbabel  in  the  first 
year  of  Cyrus,  the  rebuilding  of  the  tem- 
ple, and  the  interference  of  the  Samaritans ; 
(2)  chaps.  7-10,  the  history  of  Ezra's  immi- 
gration and  his  reforms,  particularly  in  re- 
gard to  the  strange  wives.  The  book  of 
Ezra  is  written  in  Chaldee  from  chap.  4 : 8 
to  6 :  19,  narrating  the  attempt  of  the  Sa- 
maritans to  hinder  the  building  of  the 
temple,  and  from  the  beginning  of  chap.  7 
to  the  27th  verse.  The  people  recently  re- 
turned from  the  captivity  were  more  con- 
versant with  the  Chaldee  than  even  with 
the  Hebrew  tongue.  Ezra  is  the  author  of 
at  least  the  greater  part  of  the  book.  The 
date  may  be  given  as  b.  c.  456. 

F 

Face.  Most  of  the  combinations  into 
which  this  word  enters  are  intelligible 
enough.  It  may  be  observed  that,  as  to 
seek  any  one's  face  is  to  seek  his  favor,  or 
admission  to  his  presence,  Ps.  27 : 8 ;  Prov. 
7 :  15,  so  to  see  his  face  is  to  see  him  in 
person.  Gen.  48 :11,  to  have  entrance  to  his 
court,  if  he  be  of  high  rank,  as  a  king, 
Gen.  43  : 3,  5 ;  2  Sam.  14  :  24,  28,  32 ;  hence 
this  phrase  denoted  the  royal  favor,  dignity 
or  privilege.  Esth.  1 :  14.  So  to  see  God's 
face  is  to  find  him  propitious,  to  have  near- 
ness of  access  to  him,  Job  23  :  26  ;  Ps.  17  : 
15 ;  and  this  is  specially  said  to  be  the  priv- 
ilege of  the  holy  angels  that  thev  see  God's 
face.    Matt.  18  :'lO  ;  Luke  1 :  19. 

Fair  Havens.  A  harbor  on  the  south- 
ern shore  of  the  island  of  Crete.  Acts  27  : 
8-10,  21.  It  is  about  midway  between  the 
eastern  and  western  ends  of  the  island, 
and  is  still  known  as  Kalous  Limionas,  or 
"  Fair  Havens."  It  is  a  fair  winter  harbor, 
though  not  as  good  as  Phoenice,  or  Phoenix, 
40  miles  westward. 

Faith.  Heb.  11 : 7.  Faith  is  distinguished 
from  credulity  in  that  it  does  not  accept 
anything  as  true  which  is  not  based  on 
sufficient  evidence  ;  it  is  contrasted  with 
unbelief  in  that  it  accepts  whatever  is  pro- 
posed to  it  when  the  testimony  thereof  is 
adequate.  Faith  may  be  dead,  if  it  be 
merely  in  the  understanding,  admitting 
facts  as  true,  but  not  realizing  their  bearing 
upon  ourselves.  Such  a  faith  is  that  his- 
torical faith,  which  credits  the  narrative  of 
our  Lord's  passion  and  death,  but  seeks 
not,  through  them,  remission  of  personal 
guilt.  The  faith  of  devils  goes  farther  than 
this;  for  they  "believe  and  tremble,"  Jas. 
2 :  19 ;  but  they  find  no  means  of  release 
from  their  apprehended  doom.  True  "faith 
is  the  substance  (or  realizing)  of  things 
hoped  for,  the  evidence  (or  sure  persuasion) 
of  things  not  seen."  Heb.  11:1.  With 
such  a  faith  "  Abraham  believed  God  ;  and 
it  was  counted  unto  him  for  righteousness." 
Gen.  15  : 6 ;  Rom.  4:3;  Gal.  3:6.  So  those 
who  believe  in  Christ,  accepting  his  of- 
fered mercy,  relying  on  his  never-forfeited 
word,  are  for  his  sake  regarded  as  God's 
children.  Hence  men  are  said  to  be  "  jus- 
tified by  faith."  Rom.  3:23-26;  5:1.  Faith, 
if  genuine,  will  work  by  love,  Gal.  5  : 6, 


yielding  the  fruits  of  a  holy  life  and  con- 
versation. Matt.  7 :  20 ;  Jas.  2  :  26.  There 
are  various  shades  of  meaning  belonging 
to  the  word  "faith"  in  Scripture;  some- 
times it  means  the  gospel  revelation.  Acts 
6:7;  Rom.  10  : 8.  The  precious  gift  of  faith 
and  the  increase  thereof  should  be  earnestly 
sought  in  humble  prayer.  Luke  17 : 5 ;  Phil, 
1:29. 

Famine.  Several  famines  are  noted  in 
the  Scripture  history.  Two  are  mentioned 
as  occurring  in  Canaan  in  the  days  of  Abra- 
ham and  Isaac,  compelling  those  patriarchs  ' 
to  remove  to  Egypt  and  to  Gerar.  Gen.  12  : 
10 ;  26  : 1.  Then  succeeded  that  remarkable 
famine  which  Joseph  was  enabled  to  pre- 
dict, and  which  extended  widely  over 
Eg>^pt  and  various  other  regions.  Gen.  41 : 
53-57.  A  scarcity  in  Palestine  was  once  oc- 
casioned, Judg.  6 : 4-6,  by  the  invasion  of 
the  Midianites,  and  another  (or  the  same) 
is  referred  to  in  Ruth  1 : 1.  Others  are  no- 
ted, sometimes  caused  by  war  or  bv  locusts. 
2  Sam.  21:1;  1  Kings  17:1,  7;  18:2;  2 
Kings4:38;  8:1,2;  Lam.  5:10;  JoellrlO- 
12, 17, 18.  We  read  in  the  New  Testament, 
Acts  11 :  28,  of  a  famine  predicted  by  a  Chris- 
tian prophet  named  Agabus.  Famine  is 
sometimes  used  in  a  figurative  sense;  as 
-when  a  worse  destitution  is  described  than 
that  of  bread,  a  sorer  thirst  than  that  for 
water — even  a  famine  of  the  divine  word, 
a  thirst  because  the  living  streams  of  mercy 
flow  out  no  more.    Amos  8  :  11-14. 

Fan.  An  instrument  used  to  separate 
the  chaff  from  the  grain.  Isa.  30  :  24  ;  Jer. 
15  : 7 ;  INIatt.  3  :  12 ;  Luke  3  :  17.  The  shovel 
in  Isaiah  is  probably  sometliing  used  to  sepa- 
rate the  grain  from  the  straw.  It  was  per- 
haps a  broad  scoop  by  -n-hich  the  corn  was 
thrown  against  the  wind,  often,  doubtless, 
during  the  evening  breeze,  Ruth  3:2,  in 
order  that  the  chaff"  might  be  blown 
away.  The  word  translated  "fan"  in  the 
first  place  above  referred  to  has  been 
thought  to  mean  something  of  a  similar 
kind,  as  a  fork,  which  is  still  used  in 
Palestine.  It  was  possibly  a  measure  or 
basket,  in  which  to  receive  the  grain. 
"Very  little  use,"  says  Dr.  Thomson,  "is 
now  made  of  the  fan ;  but  I  have  seen  it 
employed  to  purge  the  floor  of  the  refuse 
dust,  which  the  owner  throws  away  as  use- 
less." 

Fartliing.  Two  Greek  words  are  trans- 
lated "  farthing''  in  the  New  Testament: 
kodrantes  ;  Roman,  guadrans—v,-OTth  about 
three-eighths  of  a  cent ;  Matt.  5  :  26  ;  Mark 
12  :  42 ;  and  assarion  ;  Roman,  xs  or  as— 
the  tenth  of  a  denarius,  worth  about  a  cent  / 
to  13^  cents. 

Fasts.  Abstinence  from  food  for  relig- 
ious or  spiritual  good.  Fasts  are  often  men-  - 
tioned  in  Scripture.  The  following  account 
is  condensed  from  Smith's  larger  Diction-  ^ 
ary  :  1.  One  fast  only  was  appointed  by  the 
Mosaic  law,  that  on  the  day  of  atonement. 
There  is  no  mention  of  any  other  period- 
ical fast  in  the  Old  Tesi»ament  except  in 
Zech.  7:1-7;  8  :  19.  From  these  passages  it 
appears  that  the  Jews,  during  their  captiv- 
ity, observed  four  annual  fasts — in  the 
fourth,  fifth,  seventh  and  tenth  months.    2. 


FEASTS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


FIG,  FIG  TREE 


Public  fasts  were  occasionally  proclaimed 
to  express  national  humiliation  and  to  sup- 
plicate divine  favor.  In  the  case  of  pubhc 
danger  the  proclamation  appears  to  have 
been  accompanied  with  the  blowing  of 
trumpets.  Joel  1 :  14  ;  2  :  15.  See  1  Sam.  7:6; 
2  Chron.  20  : 3  ;  Jer.  36  : 6-10.  After  the  feast 
of  tabernacles,  when  the  second  temple 
was  completed,"  the  cliildren  of  Israel  were 
assembled  with  fasting,  and  with  sackcloth 
and  earth  upon  them,"  to  hear  the  law 
read  and  to  confess  their  sins.  Neh.  9 : 1. 
3.  Private  occasional  fasts  are  recognized 
in  one  passage  of  the  law — Num.  30  :  13. 
The  instances  given  of  individuals  fasting 
under  the  influence  of  grief,  vexation  or 
anxiety  are  numerous.  4.  In  the  New  Tes- 
tament the  only  references  to  the  Jewish 
fasts  are  the  mention  of  "  the  fast "  in  Acts 
27  :  9  (generally  understood  to  denote  the 
day  of  atonement),  and  the  allusions  to  the 
weekly  fasts.  Matt.  9  :  14 ;  Mark  2  :  18 ; 
Luke  5  :  33 ;  18  :  12.  These  fasts  originated 
some  time  after  the  captivity.  5.  The  Jew- 
ish fasts  were  observed  with  various  de- 
grees of  strictness.  Sometimes  there  was 
entire  abstinence  from  food.  Esth.  4  :  16, 
etc.  On  other  occasions  there  appears  to 
have  been  onlj^  a  restriction  to  a  verv  plain 
diet.  Dan.  10  : 3.  Those  who  fasted  fre- 
quently dressed  in  sackcloth  or  rent  their 
clothes',  put  ashes  on  their  head  and  went 
barefoot.  1  Kings  21  :  27  ;  Neh.  9:1;  Ps. 
35  :  13.  6.  The  sacrifice  of  the  personal  will, 
which  gives  to  fasting  all  its  value,  is  ex- 
pressed in  the  old  term  used  in  the  law, 
afflicting  the  soul. 

Feasts.  Special  thanksgivings  and  peri- 
ods of  rejoicing.  The  rehgious  feasts  men- 
tioned in  Scripture  fall  under  three  heads  : 
(.4)  Those  properly  connected  witli  the  in- 
stitution of  the  Sabbath ;  {B)  the  historical 
or  great  festivals;  (C)  the  day  of  atone- 
ment. {A)  Immediately  connected  with 
the  Sabbath  are :  1.  The  weekly  Sabbath 
itself.  2.  The  seventh  new  moon,  or  feast 
of  tnimpets.  3.  The  sabbatical  year.  4. 
The  year  of  jubilee.  {B)  The  great  feasts 
are— 1.  The  pasvsover.  2.  The  feast  of  pen- 
tecost,  of  weeks,  of  wheat  harvest,  or  of 
the  first-fruits.  3.  The  feast  of  tabernacles 
or  of  ingathering.  On  each  of  these  occa- 
sions every  male  Israelite  was  commanded 
to  "appear  before  the  Lord,"  that  is,  to  at- 
tend in  the  court  of  the  tabernacle  or  the 
temple,  and  to  make  his  offering  with  a 
jo3'fuI  heart.  Deut.  27  : 7  ;  Neh.  8  :  9-12. 
On  all  the  days  of  holy  convocation  there 
was  to  be  an  entire  suspension  of  ordinarv 
labor  of  all  kinds,  Ex.  12  :  16 ;  Lev.  16  :29'; 
23 :  21,  24,  25,  35  ;  but  on  the  intervening 
days  of  the  longer  festivals  work  might  be 
carried  on.  The  significance  of  the  three 
great  festivals  is  stated  in  the  account  of 
the  Jewish  sacred  year.  Lev.  23.  The  times 
of  the  festivals  were  evidently  appointed 
so  as  to  interfere  as  little  as  possible  with 
the  industry  of  the  people.  The  religious 
festivals  presen-ed  the  religious  faith  of  the 
nation  and  religious  unity  among  the  peo- 
ple. They  promoted  friendly  intercourse, 
distributed  infoiTuation  through  the  coun- 
try at  a  time  when  the  transmission  of  news 


was  slow  and  imperfect;  and  imported 
into  remote  provincial  districts  a  practical 
knowledge  of  all  improvements  in  arts  and 
sciences.  After  the  captivity  the  feast  of 
punm,  Esth.  9  :  20  flF.  seq.,  and  that  of  the 
dedication,  1  Mace.  4 :  56,  were  instituted. 
Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem  at  the  latter 
feast.    John  10 :  22. 

Felix  {j'e'lix),  happy.  A  Roman  procura- 
tor of  Judea  appointed  by  the  emperor 
Claudius  in  A.  d.  53.  His  period  of  office 
was  full  of  troubles  and  seditions.  Paul 
was  brought  before  FeUx  in  Ceesarea.  Paul 
was  remanded  to  prison,  and  kept  there 
two  years  in  hopes  of  extorting  monev 
from  him.  Acts  24  :  26,  27.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  Porcius  Festus  superseded  Fehx, 
who,  on  his  return  to  Rome,  was  accused 
by  the  Jews  in  Ceesarea,  and  would  have 
suffered  for  his  crimes  had  not  his  brother 
Pallas  prevailed  with  the  emperor  Nero  to 
spare  him.  This  was  probably  about  a.  d. 
60.  The  wife  of  Fehx  was  Drusilla,  a 
daughter  of  Herod  Agrippa  I.,  who  was 
his  third  wife  and  whom  he  persuaded  to 
leave  her  husband  and  marrj'  him. 

Ferret.  Lev.  11 :  30.  The  animal  re- 
ferred to  was  probably  of  the  lizard  tribe ; 
the  gecko,  R.  V.  The  rabbinical  writers 
seem  to  have  identified  this  animal  with 
the  hedgehog. 

Festus  (fcs'tus).  Acts  24 :  27.  Porcius 
Festus  was  appointed  by  Nero  to  succeed 
Felix  as  procurator  of  Judea,  about  60  or  61 
A.  D.  Before  him  Paul  had  to  defend  him- 
self, but  removed  his  cause  from  the  pro- 
vincial tribunal  by  appeal  to  Ceesar.  Acts 
24  :  27  ;  25 ;  26,  Festus  administered  his 
government  less  than  two  years,  and  died 
in  Judea. 

Fig,  Fig:  Tree.  This,  Ficus  carica,  was 
a  tree  very  common  in  Palestine.  Deut.  8 : 
8.  Mount  Ohvet  was  famous  anciently 
for  fig  trees ;  and  still  some  are  to  be  found 
there.  The  first  notice  we  have  of  tliis  tree 
is  when  Adam  and  Eve  endeavored  to 
clothe  themselves  with  leaves.  Gen.  3  : 7. 
Whether  the  leaves  they  used  were  those 
of  the  ordinary  fig  tree  may  be  questioned  ; 
but  the  practice  of  fastening  leaves  together 
for  various  utensils,  as  baskets,  etc.,  is  com- 
mon in  the  East  to  the  present  dav.  Not 
only  was  the  fresh  fruit  of  the  fig  tree  val- 
ued, but  also  cakes  of  figs  are  mentioned 
in  Scripture  ;  e.  g.,  1  Sam.  25  :  18;  30  :  12. 
These  were  made  either  by  simple  compres- 
sion, or  by  pounding  them  into  a  mass, 
sometimes  together  with  dates.  They  were 
then  cut  into  cakes,  often  similar  to  bricks, 
and  hardened  by  keeping.  Twice  the  fig 
tree  is  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament. 
Our  Lord,  shortly  before  his  cracifixion, 
being  hungry,  sought  fruit  from  a  fig  tree, 
and,  finding  none,  condemned  it.  Matt. 
21 :  18-20  ;  Mark  11 :  12-14,  20.  It  was 
early  in  the  season,  not  the  ordinary  time 
for  figs ;  but  yet,  as  the  fruit  precedes  the 
leaves,  and  there  were  leaves  on  this  tree, 
figs  might  naturally  have  been  expected  on 
it ;  and,  as  there  were  then  none,  there  was 
proof  enough  that  the  pretentious  tree 
was  worthless.  The  parable  of  the  fig  tree 
spared  at  the  intercession  of  the  dresser  of 


FIRMAMENT 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


FLOOT) 


the  garden,  Luke  13 : 6-9,  is  full  of  instruc- 
tion. There  is,  it  may  be  added,  an  ex- 
pressive phrase  in  which  the  tig  tree  is  in- 
troduced ;  when  men  are  said  to  sit  under 
their  own  vine  and  their  own  fig  tree,  1 
Kings  4:25;  Zech.  3:10,  a  state  of  general 
peace  and  prosperity  is  indicated. 

Firmament.  In  Scripture  the  Hebrew 
word  denotes  an  expanse,  a  wide  extent ; 
the  great  arch  or  expanse  over  our  heads, 
in  which  are  placed  the  atmosphere  and 
the  clouds,  and  in  which  the  stars  appear 
to  be  placed,  and  are  really  seen. 

Fii-st-born.  Under  the  law,  in  a  He- 
brew family,  the  eldest  son  was  regarded 
as  devoted  to  God,  and  was  in  everj'-  case 
to  be  redeemed  by  an  oflering  not  exceed- 
ing five  shekels,  within  one  month  from 
birth.  If  he  died  before  the  expiration  of 
30  days,  the  Jewish  doctoi-s  held  the  father 
excused,  but  liable  to  the  payment  if  he 
outlived  that  time,  Ex.  13 :  12-15  ;  22  :  29 ; 
Num.  8:17;  18:15,  16;  Lev.  27:6.  The 
eldest  son  received  a  double  portion  of  the 
father's  inheritance,  Deut.  21 :  17,  but  not 
of  the  mother's.  Under  the  monarchy  the 
eldest  son  usually,  but  not  always,  as  ap- 
pears in  the  case  of  Solomon,  succeeded  his 
father  in  the  kingdom.  1  Kings  1 :  30 ;  2 : 
22.  The  male  first -bom  of  animals  was  also 
devoted  to  God.  Ex.  13  :  2, 12,  13  ;  22 :  29 ; 
34 :  19,  20.  Unclean  animals  were  to  be  re- 
deemed with  the  addition  of  one-fifth  of 
the  value,  or  else  put  to  death ;  or,  if  not 
redeemed,  to  be  sold,  and  the  piice  given 
to  the  priests.    Lev.  27  :  13,  27,  28. 

First-fruits.  As  the  first-born  of  men 
and  firsthngs  of  beasts,  so  the  first-fruits  of 
the  increase  of  the  land  were  regarded  as 
holy  to  the  Lord.  Rom.  8  :  23 ;  11 :  16  ;  1  Cor. 
15 :  20,  23  ;  16  :  15 ;  Jas.  1 :  18  ;  Rev.  14  :  4.  One 
remarkable  provision  of  the  law  was  that 
the  Hebrews  must  not  for  three  years  touch 
the  produce  of  any  fruit-tree  they  planted. 
The  fourth  year  of  bearing  it  was  conse- 
crated as  the  first-fruits  to  the  Lord,  Lev. 
19  :  23-25 ;  in  the  fifth  year  it  was  free  for  the 
owner's  use.  This  nile  is  not  supposed  to 
have  applied  to  the  trees  the  people  found 
on  entering  Palestine.  There  were  general 
commands  as  to  the  offering  of  the  first 
fruits,  Ex.  22 :  29 ;  23 :  19  ;  34  :  26,  and  also 
specified  times  when  such  offerings  were  to 
be  publicly  made.  The  first-fruits  of  the 
harvest  in  the  sheaf  were  to  be  presented  at 
the  feast  of  the  passover,  on  the  morrow 
after  the  sabbath.  Lev.  23  :  9-14.  Till  this 
w^as  done,  no  harvest-work  was  to  be  pro- 
ceeded with.  At  the  feast  of  pentecost  the 
first-fruits  of  the  completed  harvest  in  the 
shape  of  two  loaves  made  of  the  new  flour 
were  to  be  presented.  Ex.  34 :  22  ;  Lev.  23  :  15- 
17 ;  Num.  28 :  26.  Besides  these  pubUc  and 
national  oblations,  there  were  others  of  a 
more  private  and  individual  kind.  Such 
were  the  first-fruits  of  the  dough,  Num.  15:20, 
21 ;  and  of  the  threshing-floor,  which  Jewish 
writers  distinguish  into  two  kinds,  the  first 
including  wheat,  barley,  gi'apes,  figs,  pome- 
granates, olives,  and  figs;  the  second  oil, 
wine,  and  other  produce  which  supported 
human  hfe,  also  the  first  of  the  fleece  and 
the  hair  of  goats.  No  rule  was  laid  down 
90 


in  scripture  as  to  the  proportion  the  offered 
first-fruits  ought  to  bear  to  the  whole  pro- 
duce ;  but  one-sixtieth  is  said  to  be  the  least ; 
sometimes  one- fortieth  or  one-thirtieth  part 
was  presented.  The  address  which  the 
offerer  was  to  make  to  God  is  prescribed  in 
Deut.  26 : 1-11.  Doubtless  in  times  of  national 
declension  less  regard  would  be  paid  to  the 
law  of  the  first-fruits ;  but  we  find  that 
during  the  various  reforms  they  flowed  in 
abundantlv.  2  Chron.  31 : 5 ;  Neh.  10 :  35,  37  ; 
comp.  Ezek.  20  :  40  ;  48 :  14.  The  first-fruits 
generally  became  the  portion  of  the  priests 
and  Levites,  to  be  eaten  by  them  and  their 
families.  Num.  IS  :  12 ;  Deut.  18 : 4 ;  Ezek.  44  : 
30.  In  Israel  after  the  schism  they  were 
sometimes  offered  to  the  prophets.  2  Kings 
4:42. 

Fir  Tree.  Probably  the  Aleppo  pine 
{Pinus  halepeims),  wliich  is  almost  as  large 
as  the  cedar,  is  now  found  on  Lebanon,  and 
was  formerly  doubtless  abundant  through 
Palestine.  Hos.  14  : 8.  Sometimes  the  cypress 
and  juniper  may  have  been  included  under 
this  name,  as  well  as  other  pines  found  here. 

Fitclies.  This  word  occurs  in  Isa.  28 :  25, 
27.  It  would  seem  to  be  the  black  cummin, 
Nigella  saliva,  used  for  both  food  and  medi- 
cine. The  seed  is  aromatic,  and  of  a  sharp 
taste.  Tlais  plant  was  beaten  out  with  a 
staff,  because  the  heavy  drag  would  have 
crushed  the  seeds.  The  "  fitches  "  of  Ezek. 
4 : 9  was  spelt. 

Flood.  One  of  the  most  remarkable 
events  in  the  history  of  our  world.  The 
biblical  narrative  is  given  in  Gen.  6-8.  The 
scripture  account  of  it  says,  "  And  I,  behold, 
I  do  bring  a  flood  of  waters  upon  the  earth, 
to  destroy  all  flesh,  wherein  is  the  breath  of 
life,  from  under  heaven ;  everj'  thing  that 
is  in  the  earth  shall  die."  Gen.  6 :  17  ;  comp. 
7  : 4,  21,  23.  "  And  all  the  high  mountains 
that  were  under  the  whole  heaven  were 
covered.  Fifteen  cubits  upward  did  the 
waters  prevail :  and  the  mountains  were 
covered.  . . .  And  everj-  hving  thing  was 
destroyed  wliich  was  upon  the  face  of  the 
ground,  both  man,  and  cattle,  and  creep- 
ing things,  and  fowl  of  the  heaven  ;  and 
they  were  destroyed  from  the  earth ;  and 
Noah  only  was  left,  and  they  that  were 
with  him  in  the  ark."  Gen.  7  :  19-23,  R.  V. 
There  is  no  fact  in  history  better  attested, 
independent  of  the  Mord  of  God,  than  the 
flood ;  and  none  more  universally  acknowl- 
edged by  all  nations,  accounts  of  it  being 
in  their  legends.  Many  evidences  of  some 
such  great  catastrophe  exist  at  the  present 
day.  The  highest  mountains  in  every  part 
of  the  earth  furnish  proofs  that  the  sea  has 
spread  over  them,  shells,  skeletons  of  fish 
and  sea  monsters  being  found  on  them. 
The  universahty  of  a  flood  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  the  remains  of  animals  are 
found  buried  far  from  their  native  regions. 
Elephants  and  skeletons  of  whales  have 
been  found  buried  in  England  ;  mammoths 
near  the  north  pole ;  crocodiles  in  German j'-, 
etc.  It  is  well  to  bear  in  mind  that  God  has 
said,  "I  will  establish  my  covenant. with 
you ;  neither  shall  all  flesh  be  cut  off  any 
more  by  the  waters  of  the  flood ;  neither 
shall  there  any  more  be  a  flood  to  destroy  the 


Jb'OOD 


OF  THE  BIBLE 


FRANKINCENSE 


earth."  Gen.  9:11,15.  And  also  has  said, 
"  The  world  that  then  was,  being  overflowed 
with  water,  perished  :  but  the  heavens  that 
now  are,  and  the  earth,  by  the  same  word 
have  been  stored  up  for  lire,  being  reserved 
against  tlie  day  of  judgment,  .  .  .  in  the 
which  the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a 
great  noise,  and  the  elements  shall  be  dis- 
solved with  fervent  heat,  and  the  earth  and 
the  works  that  are  therein  shall  be  burned 
up."  2  Pet.  3 : 5-10.  There  is  an  abundance 
of  material  stored  up  in  the  earth  and  in 
the  atmosphere  to  produce  such  a  combus- 
tion at  any  moment. 

Food.  The  diet  of  the  ancients  may  be 
learned  from  that  of  oriental  people  now. 
Vegetable  food  is  more  used  than  animal. 
Bread  was  the  principal  food ;  preparations 
of  corn  were,  however,  common.^  The  He- 
brews used  a  great  variety  of  articles,  John 
21  :  5,  to  give  a  relish  to  bread.  Milk  holds 
a  conspicuous  place  in  eastern  diet ;  gener- 
ally in  the  form  of  the  modern  leben,  i.  e.,  sour 
milk,  and  "  butter ; "  Gen.  18 : 8 ;  Judg.  5 ;  25 ; 
2  Sam.  17  :  29.  Fruit  was  another  source  of 
diet ;  figs  were  generally  dried  and  pressed 
into  cakes.  Grapes  were  eaten  in  a  dried  state 
as  raisins.  Of  vegetables  we  have  most  fre- 
quent notice  of  lentils,  beans,  leeks,  onions 
and  garhc,  which  were  and  still  are  of  a  su- 
perior quahty  in  Egypt.  Num.  11 : 5.  Honey 
IS  extensively  used,  as  is  also  olive  oil.  The 
orientals  are  sparing  in  the  use  of  animal 
food ;  not  only  does  the  excessive  heat  of 
the  chmate  render  it  both  unwholesome  to 
eat  much  meat  and  expensive  from  the  ne- 
cessity of  immediately  consuming  a  whole 
animal,  but  the  regulations  of  the  Mosaic 
law  in  ancient,  as  of  the  Koran  in  modern, 
times  have  tended  to  diminish  its  use.  The 
prohibition  against  consuming  the  blood  of 
any  animal.  Gen.  9  : 4,  was  more  fully  de- 
veloped in  the  Levitical  law,  and  enforced 
by  the  penalty  of  death.  Lev.  3 :  17  ;  7  :  26  ; 
19  :  26 ;  Deut.  12 :  16.  Certain  portions  of  the 
fat  of  sacrifices  were  also  forbidden,  Lev.  3 : 
9, 10,  as  being  set  apart  for  the  altar.  Lev.  3  : 
16 ;  7  :  25.  Christians  were  forbidden  to  eat 
the  flesh  of  animals  portions  of  which  had 
been  offered  to  idols.  All  beasts  and  birds 
classed  as  unclean.  Lev.  11:1  AT.;  Deut.  11 : 
4  ff.,  were  also  jirohibited.  Under  these  re- 
strictions the  Hebrews  were  permitted  the 
use  of  animal  food :  they  availed  themselves 
of  it  in  the  exercise  of  hospitality  or  at  festi- 
vals of  a  reb'gious,  public  or  private  char- 
acter. The  animals  killed  for  meat  were  : 
calves,  lambs,  oxen,  liarts,  roebucks  and 
fallow  deer,  and  other  clean  animals ; 
birds  of  various  kinds;  fish,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  such  as  were  without  scales  and  fins. 
Locusts,  of  which  certain  species  only  were 
esteemed  clean,  were  occasionally  eaten, 
JSIatt.  3  : 4,  but  were  regarded  as  poor  fare. 

Fool.  This  term,  in  Scripture,  imphes 
moral  pravity.  The  fool  is  not  merely  an 
unreasonable,  he  is  a  sinful  person.  2  Sam. 
13 :  13 ;  Ps.  14 : 1 ;  Prov.  19  : 1,  29  ;  20  : 3  ;  26 : 
4,  5;  Matt.  23  :  17;  Rom.  1 :21,  22.  Hence 
the  censure  of  one  who  unjustifiably  cast 
so  great  a  reproach  upon  a  brother.  Matt. 
5:22. 

Foreknowledge.     The  foreknowledge 


of  God  is  repeatedlv  spoken  of  in  Scrip- 
ture. Acts  2  :  23  ;  Rom.  8  :  29 ;  11 : 2 ;  1  Pet. 
1 :  2.  There  are  curious  and  intricate  ques- 
tions in  reference  to  his  foreknowledge, 
which  it  would  be  quite  foreign  to  the  char- 
acter of  this  work  to  attempt  to  discuss.  It 
must  be  sufficient  to  say  that  the  Scripture 
attributes  tlie  most  perfect  prescience  to 
the  Deity.  It  is  one  of  those  high  attributes 
which  place  him  immeasurably  above  all 
pretended  gods.  Isa.  41 :  22,  23 ;  42  :  9  ;  44  : 
6-8.  God  does  not  gather  knowledge  as  we 
do :  before  his  eye  all  things  past,  present, 
or  to  come,  are  spread  with  equal  clearness : 
he  sees  all  possibilities,  those  events  which 
may  happen  as  well  as  those  which  will 
happen.  1  Sam.  23 : 9-13 ;  Jer.  38  :  17-23 ; 
42  : 9-22 :  Matt.  11 :  21,  23 ;  Acts  27  :  24,  31. 
\'et  this  divine  foreknowledge  does  not 
compel  men;  it  fetters  not  their  free  ac- 
tion ;  it  does  not  deUver  them  from  the  re- 
sponsibility of  their  own  deeds.  Gen.  50 :  20 ; 
Isa.  10  :  6,  7.  And,  if  we  are  unable  exactly 
to  comprehend  this,  we  may  well  remem- 
ber that  God's  judgments  are  unsearch- 
able, Rom.  11  :  33,  his  ways  higher  than 
our  wavg,  his  thoughts  than  our  thoughts. 
Isa.  50 : 9. 

Forerunner.  A  person  sent  before  an 
army  or  a  noted  person.  Thus  John  the 
Baptist  was  a  messenger  who  went  before- 
hand to  prepare  the  way  of  the  Lord. 
]Mark  1 :  2,  3.  And  Christ  is  said  to  be  "  the 
forerunner  for  us,"  Heb.  6  :  20,  representing 
and  introducing  us.  For,  when  as  a  priest 
he  entered  into  the  holy  place,  he  went 
thither  not  for  himself  merely,  but  as  the 
head  and  guide  of  his  people,  to  open  the 
way  and  conduct  the  whole  church  into 
his  glory. 

Forgiveness.  The  remission  of  a  fault. 
In  the  gospel  of  Christ,  free  forgiveness  of 
sins  is  set  forth.  Acts  5 :  31 ;  13  :  38,  39 ;  I 
John  1:6-9;  2  :  12.  And  the  full  remission, 
which  transgressors  have  at  God's  hand  for 
Christ's  sake,  is  made  the  ground  and  the 
pattern  of  that  forgiving  spirit  which  is  to 
be  manifested  by  Christ's  true  followers. 
Matt.  6 :  12,  14,  l6 ;  18 :  21-35 ;  Mark  11 :  25, 
26  A.  v.,  but  verse  26  is  omitted  in  the  R.  V. ; 
Eph.  4 :  32,  and  elsewhere.  See  Justifica- 
tion. 

Fox.  The  jackal  is  probably  meant  in 
several  passages  where  "fox"  now  occurs 
in  Scripture.  Both  animals  are  cunning, 
voracious,  and  mischievous,  Ezek.  13  :  4 ; 
Luke  13  :  32,  are  fond  of  grapes.  Song  of 
Sol.  2  :  15.  Both  burrow  in  the  ground  or 
among  ruins.  Luke  9  :  58.  The  jackal  hunts 
its  prey  in  large  packs.  It  follows  after  cara- 
vans and  armies,  and  devours  the  bod- 
ies of  the  dead,  and  even  digs  them  up 
from  their  graves.  Ps.  63  :  10 ;  Lam.  5  :  18. 
See  2  Sam.  18  :  17.  Saiuson  used  foxes  or 
jackals,  Judg.  15 : 4,  5,  to  destroy  the  grain 
of  the  Philistines  by  binding  torches  to  the 
tails  of  the  animals,  and  they  ran  round 
setting  fire  to  fields  of  corn. 

Frankincense.  A  vegetable  resin,  brit- 
tle, glittering,  and  of  a  bitter  taste,  used  in 
Hebrew  ofterings  and  sacrifices.  Ex.  30: 
34-36.  It  burns  for  a  long  time  with  a  steady 
flame.  It  is  obtained  by  successive  inci- 
91 


FRINGES 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


GADARENES 


sions  in  the  bark  of  a  tree  called  Arbor 
thuris.  The  first  incision  yields  the  purest 
and  whitest  resin,  while  the  product  of  the 
after  incisions  is  spotted  with  yellow,  and 
loses  its  whiteness  altogether  as  it  becomes 
old.  The  Hebrews  imported  their  frankin- 
cense from  Arabia.    Isa.  60  : 6 ;  Jer.  6  :  20. 

Fringes.  The  Israehtes  were  com- 
manded to  put  fringes  upon  their  garments, 
Num.  15 :  38,  39 ;  Deut.  22 :  12,  a  kind  of  edg- 
ing which  would  prevent  the  ends  of  the 
cloth  from  unravelling ;  also  in  the  corners 
possibly  of  the  outer  garment,  which  was 
quadrangular,  there  was  to  be  a  narrow 
blue  ribbon.  These  fringes  or  borders  were 
in  process  of  time  enlarged  ;  and  it  was  one 
part  of  the  superstition  of  the  Pharisee  so 
to  enlarge  them  as  to  attract  special  notice. 
Matt.  23  : 5.  Hence  there  was  a  "kind  of  sa- 
credness  attributed  to  the  hem  of  the  gar- 
ment; and  this  seems  to  have  been  the 
reason  why  diseased  persons  specially  de- 
sired to  touch  the  hem  of  Christ's  garment. 
Matt.  9  :  20 ;  14 :  36 ;  Luke  8  :  44. 

Frog.  The  original  Hebrew  word  sig- 
nifies a  marsh-leaper.  We  find  frogs  men- 
tioned onlv  in  connection  with  the  plague 
inflicted  upon  the  Egyptians.  Ex.  8  : 2-14 ; 
Ps.  78  :  45 ;  105  :  30,  and  for  illustration.  Rev. 
16 :  13.  Naturahsts  disagree  as  to  the  species 
of  frogs  at  present  found  in  Egypt. 

Frontlets.    See  Phylacteries. 

Fullers'  Field.  A  spot  close  to  the 
wrJls  of  Jerusalem.  2  Kings  18 :  17,  26 ;  Isa. 
86:2;  7  :3. 

Furnace.  Furnaces  are  noticed  in  the 
Bible,  such  as  a  smelting  or  calcining  fur- 
nace, Gen.  19  :  28  ;  Ex.  9  :  8,  10 ;  19  :  18 ;  es- 
pecially a  hme-kiln.  Isa.  33 :  12  ;  Amos  2:1; 
a  refining  fur;nace,  Prov.  17 : 3 ;  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's furnace,  a  large  furnnce  bmlt  hke 
a  brick-kiln,  Dan.  3  :  22,  23,  with  two  open- 
ings, one  at  the  top  for  putting  in  the  ma- 
terials, and  another  below  for  remo^dng 
them.  The  potter's  furnace  and  the  black- 
smith's furnace  are  noticed  in  the  Apocrj'- 
phal  books.  Eccles.  27  :  5  ;  38  :  28.  The 
Persians  were  in  the  habit  of  using  the 
furnace  as  a  means  of  inflicting  punish- 
ment.   Dan.  3 :  22,  23  ;  Jer.  29  :  22. 


Gaal  {gdfaT),  loathing,  the  son  of  Ebed, 
led  a  revolt  against  Abimelech,  king  of 
the  Shechemites.  Judg.  9  :  26-46.  He  was 
defeated  and  his  partisans  were  scattered. 

Gaasli  {gd'ash),  earthquake.  The  hill 
where  Joshua  was  buried.  Josh.  24  :  30 ; 
Judg.  2  : 9.  South  of  Tibneh,  which  is  iden- 
tified as  Timnath-serah,  isa  hill,  upon  the 
north  side  of  which  are  tombs ;  hence  it  is 
supposed  to  be  "  the  hill  Gaash." 

Gabbatha  (gcWba-thah),  platform.  The 
place  of  Pilate's  judgment-seat ;  called  also 
"the  pavement.'''  John  19:13.  The  judg- 
ment-hall was  the  Prsetorium,  on  the  west- 
ern hill  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  pavement, 
or  Gabbatha,  was  a  tesselated  pavement 
outside  the  hall. 

Gabriel  (aa'-bri-el),  man  of  God.  An 
angel  specially  charged  with  the  message 
92 


to  Zacharias  respecting  the  birth  of  John, 
and  to  Mary  respecting  the  birth  of  Christ. 
Luke  1 :  19-26.  At  an  earher  period  he  was 
sent  to  Daniel  to  unfold  a  vision.  Dan.  8 : 
16 ;  9  :  21.    See  Angels. 

Gad  (gM),  good  fortune  {f)  1.  The  sev- 
enth son  of  Jacob,  and  the  first-bom  of 
Zilpah,  Leah's  handmaid.  Gen.  30 :  11.  2 
A  prophet  and  particular  friend  of  David, 
the  history  of  whose  reign  he  wrote.  1 
Chron.  29 :  29.  He  came  to  David  when 
the  latter  was  in  the  cave  of  Adullam.  1 
Sam.  22 :  5.  He  then  began  his  career  of 
counsellor,  under  divine  direction,  which 
eventuallv  won  him  the  title  of  "  the  king's 
seer,"  2  Sam.  24 :  11, 13 ;  1  Chron.  21 : 9.  In 
Hezekiah's  day  he  was  remembered.  2 
Chron.  29 :  25. 

Gad,  the  Tribe  of.  The  territory  given 
to  the  tribe  of  Gad  lay  east  of  the  Jordan, 
north  of  that  allotted  to  Reuben,  and  south 
of  that  given  to  Jlanasseh  on  that  side  of 
the  river.  It  extended  from  the  Jordan 
eastward  to  Aroer,  Josh.  13 :  24,  26,  includ- 
ing half  of  Mount  Gilead  and  half  of  Am- 
mon.  Deut.  3  :  12  ;  Josh.  13  :  24,  25.  For 
physical  features  and  history  see  Gilead. 
Its  chief  cities  were  Ramoth-gilead,  Maha- 
naim,  Heshbon,  and  Aroer.  This  tribe,  in 
the  wilderness,  was  placed  with  Simeon 
and  Reuben  on  the  south  of  the  tabernacle  ; 
with  Reuben  and  the  half  of  Manasseh,  it 
occupied  the  pasture  grounds  on  the  east 
of  the  Jordan.  It  was  warlike,  as  is  graph- 
ically stated.  1  Chron.  12  : 8.  Two  famous 
men'came  from  Gad— Barzillai,  2  Sam.  17  : 
27,  and  Elijah,  1  Kings  17  : 1.  The  territory 
was  the  battle  field  tor  wars  between  Syria 
and  Israel.    2  Kings  10 :  33. 

Gadarenes  (gCid'a-renez'),  country  of. 
Po.ssibly  the  same  as  that  of  the  Gergesenes, 
R.  V.  "'Gerasenes;"  Matt.  8:28  R.  V.,  but 
Gergesenes  in  A.  V.  Mark  5:1;  Gadarenes, 
A.  v.,  and  so  in  Luke  8 :  26,  but  Gerasenes  in 
R.  V.  in  ])oth  passages.  A  region  about 
Gadara,  an  important  city  about  6  miles 
south-east  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  36  miles 
from  Tiberias ;  now  called  Urn  Keis.  The 
town  is  about  1215  feet  above  the  sea-level, 
on  the  western  crest  of  a  mountain.  The 
tomb-caverns  are  very  numerous,  and  some 
of  them  are  still  inhabited  by  the  Arabs, 
illustrating  Matt.  8 :  28.  The  place  of  the 
miracle  of  Matt.  8  :  28-33  has  been  in  doubt, 
but  it  cannot  be  Gadara,  which  is  too  far 
from  the  lake  for  the  herd  of  swine  to  rush 
into  it  precipitantly  in  one  short  ran. 
Recent  explorations  fix  it,  with  some  cer- 
tainty, about  midway  of  the  Lake  of  Galilee, 
on  its  eastern  side  and  near  Gerasa,  or  mod- 
ern Kersa.  Between  tv,o  wadys,  Semakh 
and  Fik,  which  are  3  miles  apart,  the  hills 
come  within  40  feet  of  the  lake,  and  present 
a  steep  slope,  so  that  a  herd  of  swine  run- 
ning swiftly  down  it  would  be  carried  on 
into  the  water.  There  are  various  readings 
of  the  name  in  the  original  text  of  the  Gos- 
pels. The  reading  of  Jilatt.  8  :  28  was  prob- 
ably "  Gadarenes  "  (as  in  the  R.  V.),  which 
Origen  changed  to  "Gergesenes."  In  Mark 
5  : 1  the  readings  are  "  Gerasenes  "  or  "  Gad- 
arenes ; "  in  Luke  8  :  26,  "  Gerasenes,"  "Ger- 
gesenes," or  "  Gadarenes."    The  explana- 


GAIUS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


GALL 


tion  is,  Gadara,  a  claief  city,  is  named,  as 
better  known  than  Gerasa  or  Kliersa. 

Gains  {gd'yus).  1.  A  Macedonian,  Acts 
19:29,  Paul's  liost  at  Corintli  wlieu  the 
Epistle  to  the  Romans  was  written,  Rom. 
16  :  23,  and  baptized  with  liis  household  by- 
Paul.  1  Cor.  1 :  14.  He  accompanied  Paul 
to  Ephesus,  and  was  seized  by  the  mob. 
Acts  19 :  29.  The  association  of  his  name 
with  that  of  Aristarchus  seems  to  identify 
him  with  the  Gaius  of  Derbe.  Acts  20 : 4. 
Opinions  differ  on  this  point.  2.  To  one  of 
this  name  is  addressed  the  third  Epistle  of 
John.   3  John  1. 

Galatia  {ga-ld'shl-ali).  A  central  prov- 
ince of  Asia  Minor,  subject  to  the  Roman 
rule,  bounded  by  Bithyniaand  Paphlagonia 
on  the  north,  Pontus  on  the  east,  Cappadocia 
and  Lycaonia  on  the  south,  and  Phrygia  on 
the  west.  The  country  is  chiefly  high  table- 
land between  the  two" rivers  Halys  and  San- 
garius.  The  Galatians  were  originally  Gauls 
"or  Celts  who  300  yeare  before  Christ  moved 
from  the  regions  "of  the  Rhine  back  toward 
the  east,  and  there  mingled  with  Greeks 
and  Jews.  Galatia  was  a  part  of  Paul's 
missionary  field.  He  yisited  it  once  with 
Silas  and"  Timothy,  Acts  16  :  6 ;  again,  on 
his  third  tour,  he  "went  over  all  the  coun- 
try of  Galatia,"  Acts  18 :  23,  and  received 
a  "collection  for  the  saints  from  its  churches. 

1  Cor.  16 . 1.  Crescens  also  appears  to  have 
been  sent  there  near  the  close  of  Paul's  hfe. 

2  Tim.  4  :10.  See  Rice  on  Acts. 
Galbanuni.    One  of  the  ingredients  of 

the  sacred  perfume  (Ex.  30  :  34).  It  is  a  res- 
inous gum  of  a  brownish-yellow  color, 
generally  occurring  in  masses,  and  of  a 
strong,  "disagreeable  odor.  ^Vhen  mixed 
with  other  fragrant  substances,  it  made  the 
perfume  more  lasting. 

Galilee  {gal'i-lee),  circle,  circuit.  A  name 
in  the  Old  Testament  for  a  small  district  in 
the  northern  mountains  of  Naphtali,  around 
Kedesh-naphtali,  and  including  20  towns 
given  bv  Solomon  to  Hiram,  king  of  Tyre, 
Josh.  20" :  7  ;  21 :  32  ;  1  Kings  9  :  11 ;  2  Kings 
15  :  29,  and  called  "  Galilee  of  the  nations  " 
in  Isa.  9  : 1.  Devastated  during  the  wars  of 
the  Captivity,  it  was  repeopled  by  strangers. 
In  the  time  of  the  Maccabees  they  probably 
outnumbered  the  Jewish  population,  and 
gave  their  new  name  to  a  much  wider  dis- 
trict. In  the  time  of  our  Lord,  Palestine 
was  divided  into  three  provinces,  of  wliich 
Galilee  was  the  most  northern.  It  included 
the  w^hole  region  from  the  plain  of  Jezreel 
to  the  Litany  (Leontes)  river,  being  about 
60  miles  long  by  20  to  25  miles  wide.  The 
northern  part  was  known  as  Upper  and  the 
southern  part  as  Lower  Galilee.  These  in- 
cluded the  territories  given  to  Asher,  Naph- 
tali, ZelKilun,  and  Issachar.  The  country 
was  famed  for  its  fertility,  rich  pastures, 
and  fine  forests.  The  portion  west  of  the 
hike  was  the  most  beautiful.  In  the  Roman 
yjeriod  the  population  was  dense,  Josephus 
estimating  it  at  2,000,000  or  3,000,000,  though 
that  is  probably  an  exaggeration.  It  had  a 
mixed  population  of  heathens,  foreigners, 
and  Jews.  The  latter,  having  a  strong,  if 
not  dominant,  influence,  were  less  strict  and 
less  acquainted  with  the  Law  than  their 


Southern  Judtcan  neighbors,  by  whom  they 
were  little  esteemed.  The  noted  mountains 
of  Galilee  were  Carmel,  Gilboa,  and  Tabor ; 
the  towns  were  Nazareth,  Can  a,  Tiberias, 
Chorazin,  Bethsaida,  and  Capernaum.  Jesus 
spent  the  greater  portion  of  his  hfe  and 
ministry  in  Gahlee.  Many  of  his  most  re- 
markable miracles,  teachings,  and  labors 
were  within  this  province  of  Galilee.  His 
disciples  were  chiefly  from  this  region. 
Acts  1 :  11.  After  the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  Gal- 
ilee became  the  residence  of  celebrated 
rabbis  and  the  centre  of  Jewish  schools  of 
learning. 

Galilee,  Sea  of.  Named  from  the  prov- 
ince of  Galilee,  %\hich  bordered  on  its 
western  side,  Matt.  4  :  18.  It  was  also  called 
the  "Sea  of  Tiberias,"  from  the  city  of  that 
name,  John  6  : 1,  and  "  Sea  of  Cbinneroth  '* 
in  the  Old  Testament.  At  its  northwestern 
angle  was  a  beautiful  and  fertile  plain  called 
"  Gennesaret,"  and  from  that  it  derived 
the  name  of  "  Lake  of  Gennesaret."  Luke 
5:1;  Num.  34 :  11 ;  Josh.  12  : 3,  and  Galilee, 
Josh.  19 :  35.  Its  modern  name  is  Bahr 
Tubariyeh.  Most  of  our  Lord's  public  hfe 
was  spent  in  the  environs  of  this  sea.  The 
Sea  of  Galilee  is  of  an  oval  shape,  about  12 
miles  long  and  6  broad.  It  is  60  miles 
northeast  of  Jerusalem  and  27  east  of  the 
Mediterranean  sea.  The  river  Jordan 
enters  it  at  its  northern  end  and  passes  out 
at  its  southern  end.  Its  most  remarkable 
feature  is  its  deep  depression,  being  no  less 
than  700  feet  below  the  level  of  the  ocean. 
The  scenery  is  bleak  and  monotonous,  being 
surrounded  bv  a  high  and  almost  unbroken 
wall  of  hills, 'ou  account  of  which  it  is  ex- 
posed to  frequent  sudden  and  violent 
stoiTQs.  The  great  depression  makes  the 
cUmate  of  the  shores  almost  tropical.  In 
summer  the  heat  is  intense,  and  even  in 
early  spring  the  air  has  something  of  an 
Egy"ptian  balminess.  The  water  of  the  lake 
is  sweet,  cool,  and  transparent ;  and  as  the 
beach  is  everywhere  pebbly  it  has  a  beauti- 
ful sparkling  "look.  It  abo"unds  in  fish  now 
as  in  ancient  times.  There  were  large  fish- 
eries on  the  lake,  and  much  commerce  was 
carried  on  upon  it.  There  are  only  a  few 
small  boats  now  to  be  found  on  the  lake. 

Gall.  A  word  which  in  the  A.  V.  repre- 
sents two  or  more  Hebrew  words.  1.  The 
Hebrew  word  rosh,  rendered  "  hemlock  "  in 
Hos.  10  : 4  ;  Amos  6  :  12,  R.  V.,  "  gall,"  is  gen- 
erally rendered  "gall,"  Dent.  29:18;  Ps. 
69:21,  meaning  most  probably  the  poppy; 
and  thus  Jer.  8:14,  "  water  of  gall,"  would 
be  poppy-juice.  It  stands  sometimes  for 
poison  generally.  Dent.  32 :  32.  2.  Another 
word,  mererah,  or  merorah,  means  the  gall 
of  the  human  bodv.  Job  16  :  13 :  20  :  25,  and 
that  of  asps.  Job  20 :  14,  the  poison  being 
supposed  to  lie  in  the  gall.  The  Greek 
chole  means  a  bitter  humor  of  man  or  beast, 
taking  sometimes  a  more  general  significa- 
tion. Matt.  27  :  34.  It  is  used  metaphorically 
in  Acts  8 :  23.  The  draught  offered  to  our 
Lord  at  his  crucifixion  is  said  by  Matthew  to 
be  mineled  with  gall,  bv  Mark  with  myrrh. 
Matt.  27  :  :34 ;  Mark  15  :  23.  If  the  two  refer 
to  the  same  act,  Mark  specifies  the  ingre- 
dient, while  Matthew  shows  that  the  effect 


GALLIC 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


GARMENTS 


was  to  render  the  mixture  bitter ;  as  we  sa^, 
"  bitter  as  gall." 

Gallio  (gcil'li-o).  ISIarcus  Annseus  Nova- 
tus.  brother  of  the  eminent  philosoplier, 
Lucius  Annseus  Seneca,  was  adopted  mto 
the  family  of  the  rhetorician,  Lucius  Junius 
Gallio,  and  was  thenceforth  designated 
Junius  Annseus  Gallio.  To  him  his  brother 
Seneca  dedicated  one  of  his  works,  De  Ira. 
He  was  proconsul  of  Achaia  under  the  Em- 
peror Claudius,  about  53  and  5-4  a.  d.  ;  wlien 
Paul  was  accused  before  him.  Acts  IS :  12- 
16. 

Gamaliel  {ga-md'li-el),  recompense  of  God. 
1.  Son  of  Pedahzur ;  prince  or  captain  of  the 
tribe  of  Manasseh  at  the  census  at  Sinai, 
Num.  1 :  10 ;  2  :  20 ;  7 :  54,  59,  and  at  starting 
on  the  march  through  the  wilderness.  Num. 
10 :  23.  (B.  c.  1490.)  2.  A  Pharisee  and  cele- 
brated doctor  of  the  law,  wlio  gave  prudent 
worldly  advice  in  the  Sanhedrin  respecting 
the  treatment  of  the  followers  of  Jesus  of 
Nazareth.  Acts  5: 34  ff.  (a.  d.  29.)  He  was 
Paul's  teacher.  Acts  22  : 3.  He  is  generally 
identified  with  Gamaliel,  the  grandson  of 
Hillel,  who  is  referred  to  as  authority  in  the 
Jewish  Mishna. 

Garden.  Gardens  in  the  East  were  sur- 
rounded by  hedges  of  thorn,  Isa.  5:5,  or 
walls  of  stone.  Prov.  24 :  31.  For  further 
protection  lodges,  Isa.  1:8;  Lam.  2:6,  or 
watchtowers,  Mark  12 : 1,  were  built  in  them, 
in  which  sat  the  keeper,  Isa.  5:2;  21 : 5,  to 
drive  away  the  wild  beasts  and  robbers. 
The  gardens  of  the  Hebrews  were  planted 
with  flowers  and  aromatic  shrubs.  Song  of 
Sol.  6:2;  4  :  16,  besides  olives,  fig  trees,  nuts 
or  wahiuts,  Song  of  Sol.  6 :  11,  pomegranates, 
and  others  for  domestic  use.  Ex.  23 :  11 ;  Jer. 
29 : 5 ;  Amos  9  :  14.  Gardens  of  herbs,  or 
kitchen  gardens,  are  mentioned  in  Deut. 
11 :  10  and  1  Kings  21 : 2.  The  retirement  of 
gardens  rendered  them  favorite  places  for 
devotion. 

Garments.  Notice:  1.  Materials;  2. 
Color  and  decoration  ;  3.  Name  and  mode 
of  wearing  the  various  articles ;  4.  Usages 
relating  thereto. 

1.  Materials. — The  first  human  dress  was 
an  "apron"  of  fig  leaves,  Gen.  3:7;  then 
the  skins  of  animals,  Gen.  3  :  21 ;  as  later 
the  "  mantle  "  worn  by  Elijah.  Sheepskin  is 
still  a  common  material  of  dress  in  the 
East.  The  art  of  weaving  hair  and  wool 
•was  known  to  the  Hebrews  at  an  earlv  pe- 
riod. Ex.  25  : 4  ;  26  : 7 ;  Gen.  38  :  12.  Linen 
and  perhaps  cotton  fabrics  were  known,  1 
Chron.  4 :  21 ;  and  silk  Avas  introduced 
much  later.  Rev.  18 :  12.  The  use  of  mixed 
material,  such  as  m^ogI  and  fiax,  was  for- 
bidden.   Lev.  19  :  19 ;  Deut.  22 :  11. 

2.  Color  and  decoration. — The  prevailing 
color  of  the  Hebrew  dress  was  the  natural 
white  of  the  materials  employed.  Mark  9  : 
3.  The  use  of  colors  was  known ;  notice 
the  scarlet  thread.  Gen.  38 :  28.  Also,  the 
art  of  weaving  with  threads  previously 
dyed,  Ex.  35  :  25 ;  of  the  introduction  of 
gold  thread  or  wire.  Ex.  27  :  6  ff.  Robes 
decorated  with  gold,  Ps.  45:13,  and  with 
silver  thread,  cf.  Acts  12 :  21,  were  Avom  by 
royal  personages :  other  kinds  of  embroid- 
ered robes  were  worn  by  the   wealthy, 

94 


Judg.  5  :  30  ;  Ps.  45 :  14 ;  Ezek.  16  :  13 ;  as 
well  as  purple,  Prov.  31 :  22  ;  Luke  16  :  19 ; 
and  scarlet.    2  Sam.  1 :  24. 

3.  The  names  and  modes  of  wearing  gar- 
me?i<s.— Oriental  dress  has  preserved  a  re- 
markable unifoi-mity  in  all  ages  :  the  mod- 
ern Arab  dresses  much  a  the  ancient  He- 
brew did.  The  costume  of  the  men  and 
women  was  very  similar ;  there,  was  suffi- 
cient difference, 'however,  to  mark  the  sex, 
and  it  was  strictly  forbidden  to  a  uoman 
to  wear  the  staff,  signet-ring,  and  other  or- 
naments of  a  man ;  as  well  as  to  a  man  to 
wear  the  outer  robe  of  a  woman.  Deut.  22 : 
5.  The  robes  common  to  the  two  sexes 
were  :  (1)  The  inner  garment,  closely  fit- 
ting, resembling  in  form  and  use  our  shirt, 
though  unfortunately  translated  "  coat"  in 
the  Authorized  Version.  It  was  made  of 
either  wool,  cotton,  or  linen,  was  without 
sleeves,  and  reached  only  to  the  knee.  An- 
other kind  reached  to  the  wrists  and  ankles. 
It  was  kept  close  to  the  body  by  a  girdle, 
and  the  fold  formed  by  the  overlapping  of 
the  robe  served  as  an  inner  pocket.  A  per- 
son wearing  the  inner  garment  alone  was 
described  as  naked.  (2)  Upper  or  second 
tunic,  longer  than  the  firet.  (3)  The  linen 
cloth  appears  to  have  been  a  wrapper  of  fine 
linen,  which  might  be  used  in  various 
Avays,  but  especially  as  a  night-shirt.  Mark 
14:51.  (4)  The  outer  garment  consisted  of 
a  square  piece  of  woolen  cloth.  The  size  and 
texture  would  vary  with  the  means  of  the 
wearer.  It  might  be  worn  in  various  ways, 
either  wrapped  round  the  body  or  thrown 
over  the  shoulders  like  a  shawl,  with  the 
ends  or  "skirts"  hanging  down  in  front; 
or  it  might  be  thrown  over  the  head,  so  as  to 
conceal  the  face.  2  Sam.  15  :  30  ;  Esther  6  ; 
12.  The  ends  were  skirted  with  a  fringe 
and  bound  with  a  dark  pun^le  ribbon, 
Num.  15  :  38  ;  it  Avas  confined  at  the  Avaist 
by  a  girdle.  The  outer  gannent  Avas  the 
poor  man's  bed-clothing.  Ex.  22:26,  27. 
The  dress  of  the  Avomen  differed  from 
that  of  men  in  the  outer  garment ;  an  in- 
ner garment  being  Avorn  ahke  by  both 
sexes.  Song  of  Sol.  5  : 3.  Among  their  dis- 
tinctive robes  was  a  kind  of  shawl,  Ruth  3 : 
15 ;  Isa.  3 :  22 ;  light  summer  dresses  and 
gay  holiday  dresses.  Isa.  3:24.  The  gar- 
ments of  females  had  an  ample  border  of 
fringe  {skirts,  A.  V.),  A\'hich  concealed 
the  feet.  Isa.  47:2;  Jer.  13:22.  The 
travelUng  cloak  referred  to  by  Paul,  2 
Tim.  4 :  13,  is  sometimes  explained  as  a  trav- 
elling case  for  carrying  clothes  or  books. 
The  coat  of  many  colors  AVorn  by  Joseph, 
Gen.  37 : 3,  23,  Avas  a  tunic  furnished  Avith 
sleeA'es  and  reaching  down  to  the  ankles. 

4.  Usages  in  dress.— The  length  of  the 
dress  rendered  it  incouA'enient  for  actiA^e 
exercise  ;  hence  the  outer  garments  Avere 
either  left  in  the  house  by  a  person  Avork- 
ing  close  by.  Matt.  24  :  18  ;  or  Avere  throAvn 
off,  Mark  10 :  50 ;  or  Avere  girded  up.  1 
Kings  18  :  46  ;  1  Pet.  1  :  13.  On  entering  a 
house  the  upper  garment  Avas  probably  laid 
aside,  and  resumed  on  going  out.  Acts  12 : 
8.  The  presentation  of  a  robe  Avas  often 
an  installation  or  investiture.  Gen.  41 :  42 ; 
Esther  8 :  15 ;  Isa.  22  :  21 ;  taking  it  away  a 


GATE 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


GENEALOGY 


dismissal  from  office.  2  ISIacc.  4 :  38.  The 
best  robe  was  a  mark  of  honor.  Luke  15  : 
22.  The  number  of  robes  kept  in  store  for 
presents  was  very  large,  Job  22 :  6 ;  Matt.  6  : 
19 ;  Jas.  5 : 2,  and  implied  the  possession  of 
wealth  and  power.  Isa.  3  : 6,  7.  On  wed- 
ding occasions  the  entertainer  sometimes 
provided  robes  for  his  guests.  ]Matt.  22  :  12  ; 
Luke  15  :  22.  The  business  of  making  clothes 
devolved  upon  women  in  a  family.  Prov. 
31 :  22  ;  Acts  9 :  39. 

Gate.  Eastern  cities  anciently  -were 
walled  and  had  gates.  They  are  thus  some- 
times taken  as  representing  the  city  itself. 
Gen.  22:17;  24:60;  Deut.  12:12;  Judg.  5: 
8 ;  Ruth  4 :  10 ;  Ps.  87  : 2 ;  122 :  2.  Gateways 
were  used :  (1)  As  places  of  pubhc  resort. 
Gen.  19  : 1 ;  23  :  10  ;  34  :  20,  24 ;  1  Sam.  4  :  18, 
etc.  (2)  For  public  deliberation,  holding 
courts  of  justice,  or  for  meeting  kings  and 
rulers  or  ambassadoi-s.  Deut.  16  :  18 ;  21  : 
19  ;  25  : 7  ;  Josh.  20 : 4 :  Judg.  9  :  .35,  etc.  (3) 
Pubhc  markets.  2  Kings  7  : 1.  In  heathen 
towns  the  open  spaces  near  the  gates  appear 
to  have  been  sometimes  used  as  places  for 
sacrifice.  Acts  14  :  13  ;  comp.  2  Kings  23 :  8. 
The  gates  of  cities  were  carefully  guarded, 
and  closed  at  nightfall.  Deut.  3:5;  Josh. 
2  :  5,  7 ;  Judg.  9  :'"  40,  44.  They  contained 
chambers  over  the  gateway.  2  Sam.  18: 
24.  The  doors  of  the  larger  gates  men- 
tioned in  Scripture  were  two-leaved,  plated 
with  metal,  closed  with  locks  and  barred 
with  metal  bars.  Deut.  3:5;  Ps.  107 :  16 ; 
Isa.  45  :  1,  2.  Gates  not  covered  by  iron 
were  hable  to  be  set  on  fire  by  an  enemy. 
Judg.  9 :  52.  The  gateways  of  royal  palaces 
and  even  of  private  houses  were  often 
richly  ornamented.  Sentences  from  the 
law  were  inscribed  on  and  above  the  gates. 
Deut.  6:9;  Rev.  21 :  21.  The  gates  of  Solo- 
mon's temple  were  ver>' massive  and  costly, 
being  overlaid  with  gold  and  carvings.  "  1 
Kings  6 :  34,  35 ;  2  Kin.gs  18  :  16.  Those  of 
the  holy  place  were  of  olive  wood,  two- 
leaved  and  overlaid  with  gold;  those  of 
the  temple  of  fir.  1  Kings  6  :  31,  32,  34 ; 
Ezek.  41 :  23,  24. 

Gatli  {gCith),  wine-press.  One  of  the  five 
cities  of  the  Philistines,  1  Sam.  5:8;  6 :  17 ; 
Amos  6:2;  Mic.  1 :  10  ;  a  stronghold  of  the 
.Anakim,  Josh.  11 :  22;  home  of  Gohath,  1 
'  Sam.  17  : 4  ;  place  whither  the  ark  was  car- 
ried, 1  Sam.  5:8;  where  David  sought  ref- 
uge, 1  Sam.  21 :  10-15 ;  was  strengthened  by 
Rehoboam,  2  Chron.  11 : 8  ;  taken  by  Hazael 
of  Syria,  2  Kings  12  :  17  ;  probably  recov- 
ered' by  Jehoash,  2  Kings  13  :  25 ;  broken 
down  by  Uzziah,  2  Chron.  26  :  6 ;  was  prob- 
ably destroyed  before  the  time  of  the  later 
prophecies,  as  it  is  omitted  from  the  list  of 
royal  cities.  See  Zeph.  2:4;  Zech.  9:5,  6. 
Probably  Tel  es-Safi,  15  miles  south  of  Ram- 
leh  and  12  miles  southeast  of  Ashdod. 

Gaza  {gd'zah),  Rehrew  Azzah,  strong.  The 
chief  of  the  five  cities  of  tiie  Philistines, 
50  iniles  southwest  of  Jerusalem,  3  miles 
from  the  Mediterranean,  now  called  Ghuz- 
zeh.  Gaza  was  peopled  by  the  descendants 
of  Ham,  Gen.  10 :  19  ;  by  tlie  Anakim.  Josh. 
11  :  22 ;  given  to  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  47 ;  the 
scene  of  Samson's  exploits,  Judg.  16 ;  under 
Solomon's  rule  and  called  Azzah,  1  Kings 


4 :  24 ;  smitten  by  Egypt,  Jer.  47  : 1,  5 ;  proph- 
esied against,  Amos  1 : 6, 7  ;  Zeph.  2:4;  Zech. 
9:5;  noticed  in  New  Testament  only  in 
Acts  8 :  26 ;  a  chief  stronghold  of  paganism 
and  the  worship  of  the  god  Dagon.  The 
town  is  now  without  walls  or  gates,  but  is 
in  the  midst  of  ohve-orchards  and  has 
about  20,000  inhabitants. 

Geba  (ge'-bah).  hill.  A  Levitical  city  of 
Benjamin,  Josh.  21 :  17  ;  1  Chron.  6  :  60 ;  also 
called  Gaba.  Josh.  18 :  24.  It  was  held  by 
the  Phihstines,  but  taken  by  Jonathan,  1 
Sam.  13:3;  was  a  northern" landmark  of 
Judah,  2  Kings  23  :  8  ;  was  rebuilt  by  Asa,  1 
Kings  15 :  22 ;  held  by  the  Assyrians,  Isa. 
10 :  29 ;  peopled  by  Benjamites  after  the 
captivity,  Ezra  2':  26.  Geba  and  Gibeah 
appear  "to  be  sometimes  confounded  in 
the  English  Version  (see  1  Sam.  14 : 5), 
though  they  were  separate  towns.  Geba 
was  near  Michmash  and  on  the  south  side 
of  the  ravine.  It  has  been  identified  with 
Jeba,  a  deserted  village  6  miles  north  of 
Jerusalem. 

Ge\ia\{ge^bal),  mountain.  1.  A  place  near 
Tyre.  Ezra  27  : 9.  2.  Some  identify  the  Ge- 
biil  of  Ps.  83  : 7  with  northern  Edom,  called 
el-Jebal,  but  others  regard  it  as  Geba  No.  1. 

Gedaliali  {grd'a-ll'ah),  whom  Jehovah  hath 
made  powerful.  The  governor  of  Judsea, 
appointed  by  Nebuchadnezzar  after  its  sub- 
jection. 2  Kings  25 :  22 ;  Jer.  40  : 5.  He  was 
a  friend  of  Jeremiah,  Jer.  40:6;  a  party 
headed  by  Ishmael  slew  him.    Jer.  41 : 2. 

Gehazi  (ge-iid'zi),  valley  of  visioii.  The 
servant  of  Elisha.  He  was  the  prophet's 
messenger  to  the  good  Shunammite,  2 
Kings  4  (b.  c.  889-887) ;  accepted  money  and 
gaiTnents  from  Naaman  :  was  smitten  with 
le'prosy,  and  was  dismissed  from  the  proph- 
et's service,  2  Kings  5.  Later  he  related 
to  king  Joram  all  the  things  which  Ehsha 
had  done.    2  Kings  8  : 4,  5. 

Gemariali  {gSm'a-rVah),  rvhom  Jehovah 
has  perfected.  1.  The  son  of  Hilkiah,  sent 
on  an  embassy  from  Zedekiah  to  Nebu- 
chadnezzar. Jer.  29  :  3.  2.  The  son  of  Sha- 
phan,  from  whose  chamber  Baruch  read  to 
the  people  the  roll  of  Jeremiah's  prophe- 
cies.   Jer.  36  :  10,  11,  12,  25. 

Genealogy.  Genealogical  lists  are 
found  all  through  the  historical  books  of 
the  Old  Testament.  One  great  object  in 
the  preservation  of  these  genealogical  Usts 
was  to  note  Christ's  descent.  The  first  bib- 
lical genealogy  is  that  of  Cain's  descend- 
ants, Gen.  4  :  16-24  ;  then  that  of  Seth. 
The  tenth  and  eleventh  chapters  of  Gene- 
sis are  regarded  by  ethnologists  as  invalu- 
able, since  they  contain  a  history  of  tlie 
dispersion  of  the  nations  in  prehistoric  times. 
The  first  eight  chapters  of  1  Chronicles  are 
devoted  to  genealogical  accounts,  begin- 
ning with  Adam,  because,  as  it  is  stated, 
"all  Israel  were  reckoned  by  genealogies." 
1  Chron.  9  : 1. 

Genealogy  of  Jesus  Christ.— Matt.  1 : 
1-17  ;  Luke  3  :  23-38.  This  is  the  only  gen- 
ealogy given  us  in  the  New  Testament. 
We  liave  two  list^s  of  the  human  ances- 
tors of  Christ :  Matthew,  writing  for  Jew- 
ish Christians,  begins  with  Abraham  ;  Luke, 
writing  for  Gentile  Christians,  goes  back  to 
95 


GENERATION 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


GEZER 


Adam,  the  father  of  all  men.  John,  1 :1- 
18,  begins  his  gospel  hy  setting  forth  Christ's 
divine  genealogy.  The  explanation  of  the 
ditferences  in  these  two  lists  is,  1.  One,  or 
perhaps  two,  levirate  mamages  in  the  fam- 
ily of  Joseph— z.  e.,  a  marriage  of  a  man  to 
the  childless  widow  of  his  elder  brother, 
the  children  of  the  second  marriage  being 
reckoned  as  the  legal  descendants  of  the 
first  husband.  2.  That  Matthew  gives  the 
legal  or  royal  genealogy  of  Joseph,  Luke 
the  private  line  of  Joseph.  3.  That  Mat- 
thew gives  the  genealogy  of  Joseph,  Luke 
the  genealogy  of  Mary.  The  Davidic  de- 
scent of  Jesus  is  a  m'ark  of  the  Messiah, 
and  is  clearly  taught  in  the  prophecv,  and 
also  in  Rom.  1 : 3 ;  2  Tim.  2:8;  Heb.  7  :  14 ; 
John  7  :  42  ;  Acts  18 :  23. 

Generation,  or  Generations,  "has 
three  secondary  meanings  in  the  A.  V. :  1. 
A  genealogical  register,  as  Gen.  5:1.  2.  A 
family  history,  Gen.  6:9;  25  :  1  ff.,  since 
early  liistory  among  the  orientals  is  drawn 
so  much  from  genealogical  registers.  3.  A 
history  of  the  origin  of  things  as  well  as 
persons— e.gr.,  of  the  earth." — Smith. 

Genesis  {jen'e-sU).  The  first  book  of  the 
Bible.  The  tenn  signifies  "beginning"  or 
"  origin."  Genesis  gives  us  a  histon-  of  the 
origin  of  the  w^orld,  of  the  human  family, 
of  sin.  of  the  promise  of  redemption,  and 
of  the  Jewish  people.  The  first  eleven 
chapters  describe  the  creation  of  things, 
the  history  of  Adam,  the  deluge,  and  the 
confusion 'of  tongues  at  Babel.  With  the 
twelfth  chapter  begins  the  history  of  the 
patriarchs  and  Israel.  There  are  no  good 
grounds  for  doubting  that  Moses  was  the 
author.  With  the  use  of  older  documents 
and  traditions,  he  compiled,  under  divine 
direction,  the  histor>^  as  we  have  it.  The 
order  of  created  things  in  Genesis  is  sub- 
stantially the  order  of  geology  and  biology. 
Both  begin  with  the  fonnation  of  the  earth 
and  proceed  from  the  vegetable  to  animal 
life ;  both  stop  with  man.  The  word  trans- 
lated "  day  "  probably  means  an  indefinite 
period.  The  "  seventh  day,"  which  has  no 
evening,  Chron.  2  : 2.  cannot  refer  to  a  day  of 
24  hours,  but  to  the  long  redemptive  period 
in  which  we  are  living.  Few  if  any  existing 
documents  have  a  more  venerable  age  than 
has  Genesis.  Covering  nearly  2500  years,  it 
gives  us  the  account  of  the  preparation  of 
this  planet  as  an  abode  for  man  and  the  first 
annals  of  the  race.  Its  value  cannot  be 
overestimated  as  a  fragment  of  literature 
or  as  a  work  of  histon',  and  it  has  been  well 
observed  that  in  the  "first  page  of  Genesis  a 
child  may  learn  more  in  an  hour  than  all 
the  philosophers  in  the  world  learned  with- 
out it  in  a  thousand  years.— Schaff. 

Gennesaret  {gen-ne'sa-ret),  the  ILanfl 
of.  A  small  strip  of  country  on  the 
northwest  side  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  It 
is  named  onlv  twice  in  Scripture.  Siatt. 
14  :  34  ;  Mark  6 :  53  ;  comp.  Luke  5:1.  It 
lies  along  the  lake  for  three  or  four  miles, 
and  extends  back  about  a  mile  or  more, 
where  it  is  shut  in  by  the  hills.  The  plain 
Avas  formerly  very  rich  and  fruitful,  accord- 
ing to  Josephus,  and  is  supposed  to  be  the 
scene  of  the  parable  of  the  sower,  Matt.  13 : 


1-8,  but  it  is  now  fruitful  in  thorns.  The 
banks  of  the  lake  and  of  the  brook  run- 
ning from  the  fountain  'Ain  Tabighah  are 
fringed  with  oleanders. 

Gentile  {jtn'tUe).  This  was  the  name 
by  which  the  Jews  designated  all  men  but 
themselves— 1  e.,  all  pagan  nations  who 
were  ignorant  of  the  true  God,  and  idol- 
aters. Luke  2 :  32  ;  Acts  26  :  17,  20 ;  Rom.  2  : 
9,  where  the  R.  V.  reads  "  Greek ; "  9  :  24, 
etc.  In  opposition  to  the  Gentiles,  the  He- 
brews regarded  themselves,  and  were  in 
fact,  the  "  chosen  people  of  God."  Some- 
times the  "Greeks,"  as  the  most  cultivated 
among  the  heathen,  stand  for  them.  Rom. 
1 :  16 ;  Acts  16  : 1,  3,  etc.  Paul  is  called  the 
"apostle  to  the  Gentiles"  on  account  of 
his  special  mission  and  work  among  them. 

Court  of  the  Gentiles.    See  Tenii>le. 

Isles  OF  the  Gentiles,  R.  V.,  "Isles  of 
the  nations."  Gen.  10  : 5.  The  Hebrew  word 
signifies  any  land  bordering  on  the  sea. 
It  refers  to  land  on  the  Mediten-anean, 
Black,  and  Caspian  seas. 

Gerar  (ge'rcir),  residence,  or  water-pots. 
A  city  and  district  in  the  south  of  Palestine, 
and  near  Gaza,  Gen.  10  :  19  ;  visited  by 
Abraham,  Gen.  20  : 1 ;  by  Isaac,  Gen.  26  : 1 ; 
Asa  pursued  the  defeated  Ethiopians  to  it. 
2  Chron.  14  :  13. 

Gerizim  {gSr'a-zlm),  Mount.  A  moun^ 
tain  near  Shechem,  from  which  the  bless- 
ings were  pronounced,  as  the  curses  were 
from  Mount  Ebal,  Deut.  11 :  29 ;  27  : 1-13 ; 
Josh.  8  :  30-33.  Gerizim  is  2849  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  about  800  feet 
above  Ndbliis  (Shechem).  It  is  separated 
from  Ebal  by  a  narrow  valley.  Six  tribes 
were  placed  "on  Gerizim,  and  six  on  Ebal, 
Deut.  27 :  12, 13 ;  the  ark  was  probably  in  the 
valley  between  them,  and  Joshua  read  the 
blessings  and  cursings  successively.  Josh, 
8 :  33,  34 :  Deut.  27 :  14,  15.  Gerizim  was  the 
scene  of  the  first  recorded  parable— that  of 
the  trees  and  brambles.  Judg.  9:7-21.  It 
was  the  site  of  the  Samaritan  temple,  and 
referred  to  by  the  woman  at  the  well. 
John  4 :  20.    See  Ebal. 

Geslmr  (ge'shur),  bridge.  A  small  dis- 
trict of  Syria,  east  of  the  Jordan  and  north- 
east of"Bashan;  allotted  to  Manasseh, 
Deut.  3 :  14  ;  2  Sam.  15 :  8  ;  1  Chron.  2 :  23 ; . 
Josh.  13 :  13  ;  David  married  a  daughter  of 
its  king.  2  Sam.  3:3;  Absalom  fled  thither 
after  the  murder  of  Amnon,  2  Sam.  13  :  37. 
Now  known  as  "theLejah,"  and  still  the 
refuge  of  criminals  and  outlaws. 

Getlisemane  (geth-sem'a-ne),  oil  press. 
A  place  across  the  Kidron  and  at  the  foot 
of  Ohvet,  noted  as  the  scene  of  our  Lord's 
agony.  John  18:1;  IMark  14  :  26  ;  Luke  22  : 
39.  A  garden  or  orchard  was  attached  to 
it,  and  it  was  a  place  to  which  Jesus  fre- 
quently resorted.  Matt.  26  :  36 ;  Mark  14 : 
32  ;  John  18 :  2.  Tradition,  since  the  fourth 
century,  has  placed  it  on  the  lower  slope 
of  Olivet,  about  100  yards  east  of  the  bridge 
over  the  Kedron. 

Gezer  (ge'zer),  steep  place,  called  also 
Gazer,  Gazara,  Gazera,  and  Gad,  a 
roval  citv  of  Canaan,  and  one  of  the  oldest 
cities  of  the  land.  Josh.  10 :  33  ;  12  :  12.  Gezer 
was  in  Ephraim ;  given  to  Kohath,  Josh.  21 ; 


GIANT 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


GILGAL 


21 ;  1  Chron.  6  :  67 ;  noticed  in  the  wars  of 
David,  1  Sam.  27  : 8 ;  2  Sam.  5  :  25 ;  1  Cliron. 
20  : 4  ;  burned  by  Pliaraoli  in  Solomon's 
days,  1  Kings  9 :  15-17  ;  given  to  Solomon's 
Egyptian  wife,  and  rebuilt  by  him ;  was  an 
important  city  in  tlie  time  of  tlie  JNIaccabees. 

Giant.  Gen.  6:4.  R.  V.,  "Nephilim." 
The  sons  of  Anak  are  usually  looked  upon 
as  giants.  Num.  13:33.  The  king  of  Baslian, 
Deut.  3  :  11,  and  Goliath,  1  Sam.  17  :4,  were 
warlike  and  dreaded  giants. 

Gibbetiioii  {gWbe-ihon),  height.  A  town 
of  Dan  ;  given  to  the  Kohathites,  Josh.  19  : 
44 ;  21 :  23  ;  held  by  the  PJiihstines  in  the 
reigns  of  Jeroboam,  Nadab,  Baasha,  Elah, 
Zimri,  and  Omri.  1  Kings  15  :  27 ;  16  :  17. 
The  siege  lasted  27  years. 

Gibeah  {gWe-ah),  a  hill.  The  name  of 
several  towns.  1.  Gibeah  in  the  hill-coim- 
try  of  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  57  ;  now  probably 
Jebah,  ten  miles  north  of  Hebron.  2.  Gibeah 
of  Benjamin,  1  Sam.  13  : 2 ;  first  mentioned 
in  Judg.  19 ;  a  shameful  crime  by  some  of 
its  people  nearly  destroyed  the  tribe  of 
Benjamin.  Judg.  20,  21.  3.  Gibeah  of  Saul, 
probably  the  same  as  Gibeah  of  Benjamin. 
For  notices  of  Gibeah  of  Saul,  see  1  Sam.  10 : 
26;  11:4;  15:34;  22:6;  23:19;  Isa.  10:29, 
etc.  4.  Gibeah  in  Kirjath-jearim  was  no 
doubt  a  hill  in  that  city,  2  Sam.  6 : 3,  4,  on 
which  the  house  of  Abinadab  stood,  where 
the  ark  was  left.  5.  Gibeah  in  the  field, 
Judg.  20 :  31 ;  probably  the  same  as  Geba. 
6.  Gibeah-ha-araloth,  Josh.  5  :  3,  margin. 
See  Gilgal. 

Gibeon  {gWe-on),  of  a  kill.  A  city  of  the 
Hivites,  Josh.  9  :  3-21,  about  six  miles  north 
of  Jerusalem.  Near  it  Josliua  commanded 
the  sun  to  stand  still,  Josh.  10  :  12, 13 ;  Isa. 
28  :  21 ;  the  city  was  given  to  Benjamin  and 
to  the  Levites,  Josh.  18  :25;  21 :17  ;  it  was 
the  scene  of  a  notable  battle,  2  Sam.  2  :  12- 
24 ;  20  : 8-10  ;  of  the  hanging  of  seven  of 
Saul's  sons,  2  Sam.  21 : 1-6 ;  the  tabernacle 
was  set  up  at  Gibeon,  1  Chron.  16  :  39  ;  and 
Solomon  offered  great  sacrifices  there,  1 
Kings  3  : 4,  5  ;  9  : 2 ;  2  Chron.  1:3,  13  ;  Je- 
horam  recovered  captives  at  Gibeon,  Jer. 
41 :  12-16  ;  its  people  helped  to  rebuild  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem  after  tlie  captivity,  Neh. 
3:7;  7  :  25 ;  Ezra  2  :  20,  margin.  It  is  now 
called  el-Jib. 

Gideon  (gld'e-on),  he  that  cuts  down. 
Youngest  son  of  Joash,  whose  family  lived 
at  Ophrah,  Judg.  6  :  15,  in  the  territory  of 
Manasseh,  near  Shechem.  He  was  the  fifth 
and  greatest  recorded  judge  of  Israel.  He 
had  sons,  Judg.  6  :  11 ;  8  :  22  ;  and  was  called 
by  an  angel  to  be  a  deliverer  of  Israel.  Judg. 
6.  Clothed  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  Judg.  6  : 
34 ;  comp.  1  Cliron.  12  :  18,  he  blew  a  trumpet 
and  was  joined  by  Zebulun,  Naphtali  and 
even  the  reluctant  Asher.  Strengthened  by 
a  double  sign  from  God,  he  reduced  his 
army  by  the  usual  proclamation.  Deut.  20 : 
1,  8.  By  a  second  test  at  "the  spring  of 
trembhng"  he  further  reduced  the  number 
of  his  followei-s  to  300.  Judg.  7  :  5,  ff.  The 
midnight  attack  upon  the  Midianites,  their 
panic,  and  the  rout  and  slaughter  that  fol- 
lowed, are  told  in  Judg.  7.  The  memory 
of  this  splendid  deliverance  took  deep  root 
in  the  national  traditions.    1  Sam.  12 :  11 ; 


Ps.  83  :  11 ;  Isa.  9:4;  10  :  26  ;  Heb.  11  :  32. 
After  this  there  was  a  peace  of  forty  years, 
Judg.  8 :  29-31.  He  refused  the  crown.  Judg. 
8 :  23. 

Gilion  {gfhon),  fountain,  or  stream.  1. 
The  name  of  a  river  of  Eden,  Gen.  2  :  13.  2. 
A  place  near  Jerusalem  where  Solomon  was 
proclaimed  king.  1  Kings  1 :  33-45.  Heze- 
kiah  stopped  the  upper  water-course  of 
Gihon,  and  Manasseh  built  a  wall  on  the 
west  side  of  Gihon.  2  Chron.  32  :  30 ;  33  :  14. 

G  i  1  b  o  a  (gil-bo'ah  or  gU'ho-ah).  bubbling 
fountain.  A  mountain  east  of  the  plain  of 
Jezreel.  and  where  Saul  and  Jonathan  were 
slain  in  battle,  and  from  whence  Saul  went 
to  consult  the  witch  of  Endor.  1  Sam.  28  : 
4 ;  31 : 1,  6 ;  1  Chron.  10  : 1 ;  2  Sam.  1 :  21. 

Gilead  (gU'e-ad),  hard.  1.  The  grandson 
of  Manasseh.  Num.  26  :  29,  30,  etc.  2.  The 
father  of  Jephthah.  Judg.  11 : 1,  2.  3.  A 
Gadite.    1  Chron.  5  :  14. 

Gilead,  rocky  region.  Called  also  Mount 
Gilead  and  Land  of  Gilead,  Gen.  31 : 
25 ;  Num.  32  : 1 ;  and  known  in  New  Testa- 
ment times  as  Persea,  or,  "  beyond  Jordan." 
Matt.  4  :  15 ;  John  1  :  28.  1.  Gilead  was  a 
region  of  country  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Bashan,  east  by  the  Arabian  desert,  south 
by  Moab  and  Ammon.  and  west  by  the 
Jordan.  Gen.  31 :  21 ;  Deut.  3  :  12-17 ;  1  Sam. 
13  : 7 ;  2  Kings  10  :  33.  It  was  about  60  miles 
long,  and  20  miles  in  its  average  breadth. 
Its  mountains  named  in  Scripture  are 
Abarim,  Pisgah,  Nebo,  and  Peor,  and  are 
about  2000  to  3000  feet  above  the  valley  of 
the  Jordan.  Num.  32  : 1 ;  Gen.  37  :  25.  The 
balm  of  Gilead  was  held  in  high  favor,  Jer. 
8  :  22 ;  46  :  11 ;  it  is  said  that  only  a  spoonful 
could  be  collected  in  a  day,  a'nd  that  was 
sold  for  twice  its  weight  iii  silver.  Jacob 
fled  toward  Gilead,  Gen.  31 :  21 ;  it  was  con- 
quered by  Israel,  Num.  21 :  24 ;  Judg.  10 :  18 ; 
Josh.  12  :  2  ;  Deut.  2  :  36 ;  was  given  to  Reu- 
ben, Gad,  and  Manasseh,  Josh.  17 :  6  ;  under 
Jephthah  it  defeated  the  Ammonites,  Judg. 
10  :  18  ;  was  a  refuge  for  Saul's  sOn  and  for 
David,  2  Sam.  2:9;  17  :  22,  24 ;  the  home  of 
Elijah,  1  Kings  17  : 1 ;  taken  in  part  by 
Syria,  2  Kings  10  :  33  ;  by  Assyria,  2  Kings  15 : 
25-29 ;  referred  to  in  the  minor  prophets, 
Hos.  6:8;  12  :  11 ;  Amos  1  :  3, 13 ;  Ob.  19 ; 
Micah.  7  :  14 ;  Zech.  10 :  10.  2.  Mount  Gilead 
of  Judg.  7  : 3  was  probably  near  Mount 
Gilboa. 

Gilgal  {gWgdl),  rolling.  1.  The  name  of 
the  first  station  of  the  IsraeUtes  after  cross- 
ing the  Jordan,  Josh.  4 :  19,  20,  where  the 
twelve  stones  were  set  up,  and  the  taberna- 
cle remained  until  removed  to  Shiloh. 
Josh.  18  : 1.  Samuel  judged,  and  Saul  was 
made  king  there  ;  1  Sam.  7 :  16 ;  10 : 8 ;  11 : 
14,  15;  at  Gilgal  the  people  gathered  for 
war;  there  Agag  was  hewn  in  pieces.  1 
Sam.  13  : 4-7  ;  15  :  33.  Gilgal  is  'not  named 
in  the  New  Testament.  Josephus  places 
this  Gilgal  10  furlongs  from  Jericho  and  50 
from  the  Jordan:  Jerome  had  it  pointed 
out  2  miles  from  Jericho.  2.  The  Gilgal  in 
Elijali's  time  was  above  Bethel,  since  the 
prophet  "  went  down"  from  that  Gilgal  to 
Bethel.  2  Kings  2:2.  As  Bethel  is  3300  feet 
above  the  Jordan  plain,  it  must  have  been  a 
Gilgal  not  in  that  plain.  It  has  been  iden- 
97 


GITTITH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


GOLAIJ 


tified  with  Jiljilia,  8  miles  north  of  Bethel, 
where  the  school  of  the  prophets  was 
probably  established.  3.  Gilgal  of  Josh.  12 : 
23  is  supposed  to  be  at  a  JiljuUeh,  near  An- 
tipatris,  m  the  plain  of  Sharon. 

Gittitli  (gU'tith),  a  musical  instncment.  A 
word  found  in  the  titles  of  Ps.  8  ;  81 ;  84. 
The  derivation  of  the  word  is  uncertain. 

Glass  was  discovered  by  the  Phoeni- 
cians, or  perhaps  earlier.  Representations 
of  the  process  of  glass-blowing  are  found 
on  Egyptian  monuments,  and  glass  beads 
and  fragments  of  glass  vases  have  been  dis- 
covered of  very  ancient  age.  The  only 
mention  of  glass  in  the  Old  Testament  is 
in  Job  28 :  17,  R.  V.  It  is  translated  "  crys- 
tal" in  the  A.  V.  The  mirrors  referred' to 
by  the  word  "  glass  "  in  1  Cor.  13 :  12 ;  2  Cor. 
3  :  18  ;  Jas.  1 :  23,  were  not  made  of  glass. 
The  word  is  translated  "mirror"  in  these 
places  in  the  R.  V. 

Gletle.  Some  unclean  bird  of  prey. 
Deut.  14 :  13.  It  is  not  certain  what  par- 
ticular bird  is  meant,  but  most  probably 
one  of  the  buzzards,  of  which  three  species 
inhabit  Palestine.  The  original  Hebrew 
word  is  rendered  "  vultin-e  "  in  Lev.  11 :  14, 
R.  v.,  "kite." 

Goad.  Judg.  3  :31.  A  rod  or  pole  about 
eight  feet  long,  armed  at  the  larger  end 
with  a  piece  of  iron,  with  which  the  plow- 
share was  freed  from  clods  and  earth,  and 
at  the  smaller  with  a  sharp  spike,  by  which 
the  oxen  were  urged  on  in  their  labor.  In 
the  hands  of  Shamgar,  Judg.  3 :  31 ,  it  was 
a  powerful  weapon. 

Goat.  There  are  many  varieties  of  the 
goat ;  four  were  most  likely  known  to  the 
Hebrews :  1.  The  domestic  Syrian  long- 
eared  breed,  with  horns  rather  small  and 
variously  bent;  the  ears  longer  than  the 
head,  and  pendulous ;  hair  long,  often 
black.  2.  The  Angora,  or  rather  Anadolia 
breed  of  Asia  Minor,  with  long  hair,  more 
or  less  fine.  3.  The  Egyptian  goat,  with  small 
spiral  horns,  long  brown  hair,  and  very 
long  ears.  4.  A  goat  of  Upper  Egypt  with- 
out horns,  having  the  nasal  bones  singu- 
larly elevated,  the  nose  contracted,  with 
the "  lower  jaw  ijrotruding  the  incisors. 
Gen.  15  : 9.  Several  woixis  are  used  in  He- 
brew for  this  animal.  Goats  constituted  a 
large  part  of  Hebrew  flocks  ;  for  the  milk 
and  the  flesh  were  articles  of  food.  Gen. 
27  :  9 ;  1  Sam.  25 : 2  ;  Prov.  27  :  27.  As  clean 
animals  they  were  used  in  sacrifice,  Ex. 
12  :  5 ;  Heb.  9  :  13 ;  and  their  hair  was  man- 
ufactured into  a  thick  cloth.  Of  this,  one 
of  the  coverings  of  the  tabernacle  was 
made,  Ex.  25  : 4  ;  26  : 7  ;  and  it  was  on  this 
material  that  in  all  probability  Paul  was 
employed.  Acts  18  :  3.  There  is  a  Hebrew 
word  also  which  occurs  four  times,  ren- 
dered thri(?fe  "wild  goats."  1  Sam.  24:2; 
Job  39:1;  Ps.  104:18,  and  once  "roe,"  R. 
V.  "doe,"  Prov.  5:19.  This,  there  can 
be  httle  doubt,  is  the  ibex,  which  is 
specially  formed  for  climbing,  its  forelegs 
being  shorter  than  the  hinder.  The  word 
translated  "devils,"  R.  V.  "he-goats,"  in 
Lev.  17  :  7 ;  2  Chron.  11 :  15,  is  one  of  the 
ordinary  terms  for  a  goat,  signifying  hairy. 
This  animal  is  sometimes   introduced  in 


Scripture  symboUcally,  as  in  Dan.  8  :  5,  21 ; 
comp.  Matt.  25  :  32,  33. 

God.  The  name  of  the  Creator  and 
the  supreme  Governor  of  the  universe. 
He  is  a  "Spirit,  infinite,  eternal,  and  un- 
changeable in  his  being,  wisdom,  power, 
hohness,  justice,  goodness,  and  truth."  He 
is  revealed  to  us  in  his  works  and  providen- 
tial governm.ent,  Rom.  1  :  20 ;  but  more 
fully  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  and  in  the 
person  and  work  of  his  only  begotten  Son, 
our  Lord.  1.  Nam€s.  There  are  three  prin- 
cipal designations  of  God  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment—Elohim,  Jehovah  (Javeh),  and  Ado- 
nai.  The  first  is  used  exclusively  in  the 
first  chapter  of  Genesis ;  chiefly  in  the  sec- 
ond book  of  Psalms,  Ps.  42-72,  called  the 
Elohim  Psalms,  and  occurs  alternately  with 
the  other  names  in  the  other  parts  of  the 
Old  Testament.  It  expresses  his  character 
as  the  almighty  ISIaker  and  his  relation  to 
the  whole  world,  the  Gentiles  as  well  as 
the  Jews.  The  second  is  especially  used 
of  him  in  his  relation  to  Israel  as  the  God 
of  the  covenant,  the  God  of  revelation  and 
redemption.  "Adonai,"  i.  e.,  my  Lord,  is 
used  where  God  is  reverently  addressed, 
and  is  rflways  substituted  by  the  Jews  for 
"Jehovah,"  which  they  never  pronounce. 
The  sacred  name  Jehovah,  or  Yahveh,  is 
indiscriminately  translated,  in  the  Common 
Version,  God,  Lord,  and  Jehovah.  2.  The 
Nature  of  God.  God  is  revealed  to  us  as  a 
trinity  consisting  of  three  Persons  who  are 
of  one  essence.  Matt.  28  :  19  ;  2  Cor.  13  :  14; 
John  1 : 1-3— God  the  Father,  God  the  Son, 
and  God  the  Holy  Ghost.  To  the  Father  is 
ascribed  the  work  of  creation,  to  the  Ron 
the  redemption,  to  the  Holy  Spirit  the 
sanctification ;  but  all  three  Persons  take 
part  in  all  the  divine  works.  To  each  of 
these  Persons  of  the  Trinity  are  a.scribed 
the  essential  attributes  of  the' Supreme  God. 
Thus,  the  Son  is  represented  as  the  Media- 
tor of  the  creation.  John  1:3;  Col.  1 :  16 ; 
Heb.  1:4.  3.  The  unity  of  the  Godhead  is 
emphasized  in  the  Old  Testament,  while 
the  trinity  is  only  shadowed,  forth,  or  at 
best  faintly  brought  out.  The  reason  for 
the  emphasis  of  the  unity  of  the  Godhead 
was  to  show  the  fallacy  of  polytheism  and 
to  discourage  idolatry,  which  the  heathen 
practiced.  God  is  ' denominated  "one 
Lord."  Deut.  6  : 4.  Over  against  the  false 
deities  of  the  heathen,  he  is  designated  the 
"living"  God.  This  belief  in  God  as  one 
was  a  chief  mark  of  the  Jewish  rehgion. — 
Condensed  from  Scbaff. 

Gog  and  Magog  (gdg  and  md'gdg). 
Ezek.  38 : 2.  Magog  was  the  name  of  one 
of  Japheth's  sons.  Gen.  10  : 2.  It  was  also 
a  general  name  of  a  country  north  of  the 
Caucacus  or  Mount  Taurus,  or  for  the  peo- 
ple of  that  district.  Gog  was  the  king  of 
the  country.  This  peofile  seems  to  have 
sustained  relations  of  hostility  to  Israel, 
and  is  associated  with  Aiitichrist.  Rev. 
20:8. 

Golan  (go'lan),  circle.  One  of  the  six 
cities  of  refuge.  It  was  in  Bashan,  and  the 
most  northerly  of  the  three  cities  of  refuge 
east  of  the  Jordan.  Deut.  4:43;  Josh.  20: 
8;  21:27;  1  Chron.  6  ;  7L 


GOLD 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


GOVERNOR 


Gold.  Gen.  2  :  11.  Several  places  are 
mentioued  by  the  sacred  writers  as  abound- 
ing in  gold  ;  such  as  Ophir,  Job  28  :  16 ;  Par- 
vaim,  2  Chron.  3:6;  Slieba  and  Raamali, 
Ezek.  27  :  22.  Until  long  after  the  tune  of 
David  gold  was  not  coined,  but  was  sold  by 
weight  as  a  precious  article  of  commerce. 

Goliath  (go-lVath),  splendor.  A  giant  of 
Gath,  who  for  forty  days  defied  the  armies 
of  Israel.  1  Sam.  17.  His  height  was  "  six 
cubits  and  a  span,"  which,  taking  the  cubit 
at  18  inches,  would  make  him  9)^  feet  high. 
In  2  Sam.  21 :  19  we  find  that  another  GoU- 
ath  of  Gath  was  slam  by  Elhanan,  also  a 
Bethlehemite. 

Gomer  {go'mer),  perfect.  1.  The  eldest 
son  of  Japheth,  Gen.  10  :  2,  3,  the  father  of 
the  early  Cimmerians,  of  the  later  Cimbri 
and  the  other  branches  of  the  Celtic  fam- 
ily.   2.  The  wife  of  Hosea.    Hos.  1 : 3. 

Gomorrah  {go-mdr'rah),  submersion.  One 
of  the  five  cities  in  the  vale  of  Siddim, 
Gen.  14 : 1-11 ;  destroyed  for  its  wickedness. 
Gen.  18 :  20 ;  19  :  24,  28 ;  made  a  warning  by 
Moses,  Dent.  29  :  23 ;  32  :  32 ;  referred  to  by 
Isaiah,  1:9,  10 ;  by  Jeremiah,  23  :  14 ;  49 : 
18 ;  50  :  40 ;  bv  Amos,  4  :  11 ;  by  Zephaniah, 
2:9;  by  our  Saviour,  Matt.  10  :  15 ;  Mark  6  : 
11,  A.  V. ;  by  Paul,  quoting  Isaiah,  Rom.  9  : 
29 ;  by  Peter  and  Jude,  2  Pet.  2  :  6.  Its  site 
is  disputed.  Some  place  it  at  the  southern, 
others  at  the  northern,  end  of  the  Dead 
Sea. 

Gopher-wood.  The  ark  was  made  of 
this  material.  Gen.  6  :  14.  It  was  some 
resinous  wood,  such  as  cedar,  pine,  fir,  or 
cypress,  which  was  considered  by  the  an- 
cients as  the  most  durable  wood.  It 
abounded  in  Syria,  was  used  very  com- 
monly for  shipbuilding,  and  was  almost 
the  only  wood  which  could  furnish  suita- 
ble timber  for  so  large  a  vessel  as  the  ark. 

Goshen  {go'shen).  1.  The  portion  of 
Egypt  assigned  to  Israel.  Gen.  45  : 5,  10 ; 
46  :  28  ;  47  :  27  ;  50 : 8.  It  probably  bordered 
on  the  Tanitic  branch  of  the  Nile,  hence 
called  Zoan  or  Tanis,  Ps.  78:12,  and 
reached  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Red 
sea.  It  was  suited  to  shepherds,  and 
abounded  in  vegetables.  It  contained  the 
treasure-cities  Rameses  and  Pithom.  Go- 
shen was  near  the  royal  capital,  Gen.  47  :  27 
compared  with  48  : 1,  2  ;  Ex.  5  :  20 ;  appears 
to  have  been  the  starting-place  of  the  Is- 
raelites in  their  journey  to  the  land  of 
promise.  Ex.  12  :  37,  38.  2.  A  district  in 
Palestine,  perhaps  between  Gibeon  and 
Gaza.  Josh.  10  :  41 ;  11 :  16.  3.  A  city  in 
the  hill-eountrj-  of  Judah.    Josh.  15 :  51. 

Gospel.  From  the  Anglo-Saxon  God- 
spell,  "good  tidings,"  is  the  English  trans- 
lation of  the  Greek  euaggelion,  which  sig- 
nifies "good"  or  "glad  tidings."  Luke  2  : 
10;  Acts  13:32.  The  same  word  in  the 
original  is  rendered  in  Rom.  10  :  15  by  the 
two  equivalents  "gospel"  and  "glad  tid- 
ings." The  term  refers  to  the  good  news 
of  the  new  dispensation  of  redemption  ush- 
ered in  by  the  hfe,  death,  and  resurrection 
of  Jesus  Christ.  The  "good  news  "is  de- 
nominated either  simply  the  "  gospel," 
Matt.  26:13,  or  else  "the  gospel  of  the 
kingdom,"  Matt.  9  :  35;  of  "Jesus  Christ," 


Mark  1:1;"  of  peace,"  Rom.  10 :  15  A.  V.,  but 
omitted  in  R.  V.  ;  Eph.  6:15;  of  "salva- 
tion," Eph.  1:13;  of  "God,"  1  Thess.  2:9; 
and  of  grace.  Acts  20  :  24.  The  four  Gospels 
were  issued  probably  during  the  latter 
half  of  the  first  century— those  of  Matthew 
and  Mark  and  Luke  before  the  destruction 
of  Jerusalem  ;  and  that  of  John  towards 
the  close  of  the  century.  Before  the  end 
of  the  second  century,  there  is  abundant 
evidence  that  the  four  Gospels,  as  one  col- 
lection, were  generally  used  and  accepted. 
In  the  fourth  Gospel  the  narrative  coincides 
with  that  of  the  other  three  in  a  few  pas- 
sages only.  The  common  explanation  is  that 
John,  writmg  last,  at  the  close  of  the  first 
century,  had  seen  the  other  Gospels,  and 
purposely  abstained  from  writing  anew 
what  they  had  sufficiently  recorded.  In 
the  other  three  Gospels  there  is  a  great 
amount  of  agreement.  If  we  suppose  the 
historj^  that  they  contain  to  be  divided  into 
89  sections,  in  42  of  these  all  the  three  nar- 
ratives coincide,  12  more  are  given  by  Mat- 
thew and  Mark  only,  5  by  Mark  and  Luke 
only,  and  14  by  ilatthew  and  Luke.  To 
these  must  be  added  5  pecuhar  to  Matthew% 
2  to  Mark  and  9  to  Luke,  and  the  enumer- 
ation is  complete.  But  this  applies  only  to 
general  coincidence  as  to  the  facts  narrated 
—the  amount  of  verbal  coincidence,  that 
is,  the  passages  either  verbally  the  same  or 
coinciding  in  the  use  of  many  of  the  same 
words,  is  much  smaller.  The  First  Gospel 
was  prepared  by  Matthew  for  the  Jew.  He 
gives  us  the  Gospel  of  Jesus,  the  Messiah 
of  the  Jews,  the  Messianic  royalty  of  Jesus. 
Mark  wrote  the  Second  Goxpd  from  the 
preaching  of  Peter.  Luke  wrote  the  Third 
Gospel  for  the  Greek.  It  is  the  gospel  of 
the  future,  of  progressive  Christianity,  of 
reason  and  culture  seeking  the  perfection 
of  manhood.  John,  "the  beloved  disciple," 
wrote  the  Fourth  Gospel  for  the  Christian, 
to  cherish  and  train  those  who  have  en- 
tered the  new  kingdom  of  Christ,  into  the 
highest  spiritual  hfe.  See  Matthew,  Mark, 
Luke,  and  John.  Paul  says :  "  I  am 
not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ ;  for  it 
is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  beUeveth."  Rom.  1:16.  To  the 
Corinthians  he  writes  :  "  I  came  not  to  you 
W'ith  excellency  of  speech  or  of  wisdom, 
declaring  unto  you  the  testimony  of  God. 
For  I  determined  not  to  know  anything 
among  you,  save  Jesus  Christ,  and  him 
crucified."    ICor.  2  :  1,  2. 

Gourd.  1.  Jonah  4 :  6-10.  The  plant 
intended  is  the  Ricinus  communis,  or  castor- 
oil  plant,  which,  a  native  of  Asia,  is  now 
naturahzed  in  America,  Africa,  and  the 
south  of  Europe.  2.  The  Avild  gourd  of  2 
Kings  4:  39,  gathered  by  one  of  "the  souw 
of  the  prophets,"  is  a  poisonous  gourd,  sup- 
posed to  be  the  colocynth,  which  bears  a 
frmt  of  the  color  and  size  of  an  orange. 
Orientals  can  easily  understand  the  cause 
of  the  mistake. 

Governor.  "Various  Hebrew  terms  are 
thus  translated :  thus  it  is  used  to  desig- 
nate certain  provincial  officers  of  the 
Assyrian,  Babylonian,  Median  and  Per- 
sian empires.  The  original  word  is  pechah, 
99 


GOZAN 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


HADAD-RIMMON 


probably  akin  to  the  modern  pacha.  Sev- 
eral of  these  governors  presided  over  dis- 
tricts on  the  western  side  of  the  Euphrates, 
Neh.  2:7,  9 ;  and  they  were  inferior  to  the 
satraps,  or  king's  Mevitenants.  Ezra  8  :  36. 
In  the  New  Testament  the  Eoman  procura- 
tor of  Judea  is  called  the  "  governor,"  e.  g., 
Matt.  27  :  2,  11,  14 ;  a  kindred  word  being 
used  to  describe  the  authority  of  Tiberius, 
Luke  3:1,  where  our  version'has  "reign." 
The  "  governor  "  of  a  marriage-feast  ^^  as  the 
bridegroom's  friend,  who  took  charge  of 
the  entertainment,  John  2  : 8,  9.  The  "  gov- 
ernor" of  Damascus  would  seem  to  have 
been  the  ethnarch  who  held  the  place  as 
the  king's  heutenant  or  vassal.  2  Cor.  11 : 
32.  The  "  governors  "  of  a  minor  were  the 
trustees  of  his  property,  R.  V.  "stewards." 
Gal.  4 :  2.  The  "  governor"  of  a  ship  was 
the  steersman.    See  R.  V.,  Jas.  3  : 4. 

Gozan  {go'zan),  quarry  {f).  A  district  to 
which  the  Israelites  were  carried  captive. 
2  Kings  17  : 6  ;  18  :  11 ;  19  :  12 ;  1  Chron.  5 : 
26 ;  Isa.  37  :  12.  Gozan  must  not  be  consid- 
ered as  a  river ;  rather  the  river  mentioned 
in  1  Chron.  5  :  26  ran  through  it ;  it  was 
probably  the  region  called  Gauzanitis  by 
Ptolemy,  and  Mygdonia  by  other  writers. 

Grapes.    See  Vine. 

Grass.  There  are  several  HebreAV  words 
which  are  translated  "grass"  in  our  ver- 
sion; but  the  translation  is  not  uniform. 
Once,  Num.  11 : 5,  the  word  ordinarily  trans- 
lated "grass"  is  rendered  "leeks.""  That 
Avhich  grows  upon  the  flattened  terraces  of 
eastern  house-tops  is  very  soon  withered  by 
the  scorching  rays  of  the  sun.  2  Kings  19  : 
26  ;  Ps.  90 :  5,  6 ;  129 : 6  ;  Isa.  40  : 6-8 ;  1  Pet. 
1:24. 

Grasshopper.    See  Liocust. 

Great  Sea.  Num.  34  :  6.  The  Medi- 
terranean sea;  called  also  "utmost  sea" 
and  the  "  hinder  sea ; "  R.  V.,  "  eastern  sea" 
and  "  western  sea."  Joel  2 :  20 ;  Zech.  14  :  8. 
See  Sea. 

Greece  {greeqe),  or  Hellas  (hel'las).  The 
well-known  country  in  the  southeast  of 
Europe.  It  is  named  four  times  in  the  Old 
Testament  as  Greece  or  Grecia,  Zech.  9  :  13 ; 
Dan.  8  :  21 ;  10 :  20  ;  11 :  2,  and  once  in  the 
New  Testament,  Acts  20  : 2.  It  or  its  people 
are  referred  to  in  Hebrew  history  as  Javan, 
Isa.  66  :  19 ;  Ezek.  27  :  13, 19,  and  in  apostohc 
history  as  Achaia.  Its  cities  noticed  in 
Scripture  are  Athens,  Corinth,  and  Cen- 
chrea. 

Greeks,  Grecians.  The  "Greeks" 
were  those  Greeks  bv  race,  Acts  16 : 1,  3 ;  18 : 
17  A.  v.,  but  the  R.  V.  omits  "the  Greeks" 
and  reads  "they  all;"  or  else  Gentiles  as 
opposed  to  Jews,  Rom.  2  :9,  10,  "Gentile" 
A.  v.,  but  the  margin  of  the  A.  V.  and  the 
text  of  the  R.  V.  read  "  Greek."  But  Gre- 
cians were  foreign  Jews  as  distinct  from 
those  in  Palestine,  who  were  called  "  He- 
brews." Acts  11 :  20.  The  Greeks  and  He- 
brews tirst  met  when  the  Tyrians  sold  the 
Jews  to  the  Greeks.  Joel  3  :  6.  "Prophet- 
ical notice  of  Greece  occurs  in  Dan.  8  :  21, 
etc.,  Avhere  the  history  of  Alexander  and 
his  successors  is  rapidly  sketched.  Zech. 
9 :  13  foretells  the  triumphs  of  the  Macca- 
bees over  the  Graeco-Syrian  empire,  Mobile 
100 


Isaiah  looks  forward  to  the  conversion  of 
the  Greeks,  amongst  other  Gentiles,  through 
the  instrumeutahty  of  Jewish  missionaries. 
Isa.  66  :  19." 

Greyhound.  Prov.  30  :  31.  The  Hebrew 
word  means  "  one  well  girt  or  knit  in  the 
loins  ;  "  see  margin  of  the  R.  Y. ;  hence  it 
may  refer  to  the  war-horse,  or  to  a  wrestler. 
Comp.  Job  39  :  19-25. 

Grove.  The  translation,  except  in  Gen. 
21 :  33  A.  V.  (the  R.  V.  reads  "tamarisk  tree)," 
of  the  Hebrew  word  asherah;  but  since 
asherah  is  an  idol  or  an  idolatrous  pillar — 
an  image  of  Astarte,  and  not  a  "grove," 
the  A.  V.  is  misleading,  as  in  1  Kings  18  :  19  ; 
2  Kings  13 : 6,  and  other  places,  Avhere 
the  R.  V.  transfers  the  Hebrew  word  and 
reads  "Asherah." 

II 

Habakkuk  {hdb-bd.k'kuk  or  hdb'ak-kiik), 
embrace.  One  of  the  twelve  minor  proph- 
ets. He  lived  in  the  reign  of  Jehoiakim  or 
of  Josiah.  His  prophecy  relates  chiefly  to 
the  invasion  of  Judaea  by  the  ChaldEeans, 
chap.  1,  and  the  subsequent  punishment 
of  the  Chaldseans  themselves,  chap.  2.  The 
passage,  2:4,  "the  just  shall  live  by  his 
faith,"  furnished  to  Paul  the  text  for  his 
Epistle  to  the  Romans.  Rom.  1 :  17  ;  comp. 
Gal.  3 :  11.  The  third  chapter  is  an  eloquent 
and  sublime  psalm  upon  the  majesty  of 
God.  Bishop  Lowth  says,  "  This  anthem  is 
unequalled  in  majesty  and  splendor  of  lan- 
guage and  imagery." 

Hahor  (ha'bor).  Perhaps  rich  in  vegeta- 
tion. A  river  of  Gozan,  2  Kings  17 : 6 ;  1 
Chron.  5  :  20  :  probably  identical  with  the 
modern  Khabour,  the  Aborrhas  and  Cha- 
boras  of  ancient  writers,  and  a  branch  of 
the  Euphrates. 

Hacliilah,  Hill  of  {Mk'al-ah),  the 
darksome  hill.  A  place  in  Judah  near  Ziph, 
and  where  David  Avith  his  600  followers 
hid.  1  Sam.  23:19;  compare  14,  15,  18; 
26:3. 

Hadad  {hd'ddd),  clamor,  a  Syrian  deity, 
the  sun.  1.  One  of  the  kings  who  reigned 
in  Edom ;  his  capital  city  was  Avith.  He 
defeated  the  Midianites  in  the  field  of 
Moab.  Gen.  36:35;  1  Chron.  1:46.  2.  An- 
other later  king  of  Edom,  the  last  enumer- 
ated in  the  early  genealogies.  1  Chron.  1 :  50, 
51.  In  Gen.  36  :  39  he  is  called  Hadar.  In 
1  Chron.  1 :  51,  a  later  record,  his  death  is 
noted.  3.  An  Edomite  of  the  royal  family. 
1  Kings  11 :  14-25. 

Hadadezer  (had-ad-e'zer),  or  Hadare- 
zer  {hdd-ar-e'zer),  Hadad" s  help.  A  king  of 
Zobah.  He  was  twice  defeated  by  king 
David's  armies.  2  Sam.  8:3;  10 :  16.  On 
the  first  occasion  22. 000  of  the  enemy  were 
slain  and  1000  chariots  were  taken.  Among 
the  spoils  were  shields  of  gold.  1  Chron.  18  : 
4-7,  which  David  took  to  Jerusalem.  Some 
years  afterward  thev  became  tributary  to 
David.    1  Chron.  19 :  16-19. 

Hadad-rimnion  {hd'dad-rim'mon).  A 
place  probably  named  from  two  Syrian 
idols,  Hadad,  the  sun-god,  and  Rimmon. 
It  was  in  the  valley  of  Megiddo,  Zech.  12 : 


HADES 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


HAM 


11,  and  the  scene  of  a  great  lamentation 
over  the  death  of  Josiah.  2  Kings  23 :  29 ;  2 
Chron.  35 :  20-25. 

Hades.  The  unseen  world,  the  spirit 
world.  Occurs  eleven  times  in  the  Greek 
Testament,  Matt.  11 :  23  ;  16  :  18 ;  Acts  2 :  31 ; 
Rev.  1 :  18,  etc.,  and  is  retained  in  theE,.  V. 
to  distinguish  it  from  Gehenna  ("hell"). 
The  word  is  used  in  Homer  as  a  proper 
noun  for  Pluto,  the  god  of  the  unseen  or 
lower  world.  In  later  writers  it  signifies 
the  imseen  spirit  world,  the  abode  of  the 
dead.  1.  The  Greek  view  of  Hades  and 
the  Roman  view  of  Orcus  is  that  of  a  place 
for  all  the  dead  in  the  depths  of  the  earth. 
2.  The  Hebrew  Sheol  is  the  equivalent  for 
the  Greek  Hades,  and  is  so  translated  in  the 
Septuagint.  It  is  hkewise  the  subterranean 
abode  of  all  the  dead,  but  only  their  tem- 
porary abode  until  the  advent  of  the  Mes- 
siah or  the  final  judgment,  and  is  divided 
into  two  departments,  called  Paradise  or 
Abraham'' s  bosom  for  the  good,  and  Gehenna 
or  heU  for  the  bad.  3.  The  New  Testament 
Hades  does  not  diflFer  essentially  from  the 
Hebrew  Sheol,  but  Christ  has  broken  the 
power  of  death,  dispelled  the  darkness  of 
Hades,  and  revealed  to  believers  the  idea  of 
heaven  as  the  state  and  abode  of  bliss  in 
hnmediate  prospect  after  a  holy  hfe.  The 
A.  V.  translates  Hades  and  Gelienna  by  the 
same  word,  "  hell,"  except  in  1  Cor.  15 :  55, 
"grave,"  R.  V.  reads  "death,"  and  thus 
obUterates  the  important  distinction  be- 
tween the  realm  of  the  dead  or  spirit  world 
and  the  place  of  torment.  Hades  is  a  tem- 
porary abode — heaven  and  hell  are  perma- 
nent and  final.  Since  Christ's  descent  into 
Hades,  or  the  unseen,  the  spirit  world,  be- 
lievers need  not  fear  to  enter  this  realm 
through  death.  Christ  declares,  "  I  am 
alive  for  evermore.  Amen ;  and  have  the 
keys  of  death  and  of  Hades."  Rev.  1 :  18, 
R.  V, 

Ha  gar  (hd'gar),  flight.  An  Egyptian 
woman,  the  bond-sei-vant  of  Sarah,  whom 
the  latter  gave  as  a  concubine  to  Abraham, 
and  Hagar  despised  her  mistress.  Gen.  16  : 
1-4.  Hagar  fled.  On  her  return  she  gave 
birth  to  Ishmael,  and  Abraham  was  then 
86  years  old.  When  Ishmael  was  about  16 
years  old,  he  was  caught  by  Sarah  making 
sport  of  her  young  son  Isaac,  and  Sarah  de- 
manded the  expulsion  of  Hagar  and  her 
son.  Hagar  again  fled  toward  Egypt,  and 
when  in  despair  at  the  want  of  water,  an 
angel  again  appeared  to  her,  pointed  out  a 
fountain  close  by,  and  renewed  the  former 
promises  to  her.  Gen.  21 : 9-21.  Paul,  Gal. 
4 :  25,  refers  to  her  as  the  type  of  the  old 
covenant. 

Hagarenes,  Hagarites,  or  Hagrites, 
R.  V.  (hd'par-enes',  hd'gar-lffs).  A  people 
dwelUng  to  the  east  of  Palestine,  with 
whom  the  tribes  of  Reuben  made  war  in 
the  time  of  Saul.  1  Chron.  5  :  10,  18-20.  The 
same  people  are  mentioned  in  Ps.  83  :  6, 

Haggai  {hdg'ga-i  or  hng'gdi),  festive.  A 
prophet  after  the  captivity,  in  the  second 
year  of  Darius  Hystaspes,  or  b.  c.  520,  Hag. 
1 : 1.    Nothing  is  known  of  his  life. 

The  Prophecy  of,  which  is  prose  in 
form,  concerns  the  repair  of  the  temple,  1 : 
7 


1-12  ;  2  :  10-20,  tlie  glory  of  the  second  tem- 
ple, 2  : 1-9,  and  the  triumph  of  Zerubbabel 
over  his  enemies.    2 :  20-23. 

Hair.  The  Hebrews  allowed  the  hair  to 
grow  thick  and  somewhat  long.  Ezek.  8  : 3. 
Baldness  was  disUked,  as  sometimes  svmp- 
tomatic  of  leprosy,  Lev.  13  :  40-44 :  hence  the 
reproach  uttered  against  Elisha,  2  Kings  2  : 
23.  Cuttings  of  the  hair,  such  as  were  usual 
in  idolatrous  worship,  were  forbidden.  Lev. 

19  :  27  ;  Deut.  14  : 1.  Still  this  seems  to  have 
been  a  Hebrew  custom  In  mourning,  Jer.  7  ; 
29 ;  while,  on  the  contrary,  the  Egyptians 
let  their  hair  grow  when  in  distress,  and 
shaved  or  cut  it  on  returning  prosperity. 
Gen.  41 :  14 :  comp.  Herodotus,  Ub.  ii.  36,  iii. 
12.  The  way  in  which  Absalom  let  his  hair 
grow  ■was  no  doubt  the  vanity  of  a  young 
and  handsome  man.  2  Sam.  14  :  26.  Thus, 
to  uncover  the  ear  is  a  common  phrase  for 
communicating  a  secret,  1  Sam.  9  :  15,  marg., 

20  :  2,  marg.,  as  if  it  were  necessary  to  put 
aside  the  locks  in  order  to  whisper  in  the 
ear.  There  was,  however,  a  clear  distinction 
made  between  the  sexes  in  this  respect,  1 
Cor.  11 :  14,  15 ;  so  that  the  women  wore 
their  hair  very  long.  Luke  7  :  38 ;  John  12  : 3. 
Hence,  perhaps,  the  long  hair  of  the  Nazi- 
rites  was  to  indicate  humility  and  subjec- 
tion. Num.  6  : 5.  The  color  of  the  hair  was 
geiierally  black,  Song  of  Sol.  5:11:  but  the 
gray  hairs  of  age  were  regarded  as  especially 
venerable,  Prov.  16  :  31  ;  on  this  account, 
perhaps,  the  hairs  of  the  Ancient  of  Days 
are  likened  to  "  pure  wool."  Dan.  7  : 9. 
Samson  had  seven  plaits  in  his  hair,  Judg. 
16 :  13,19 ;  and  these  must  have  been  fastened 
Avith  a  fillet.  Ezek.  24  :  17.  Of  course  greater 
pains  were  taken  by  females  in  thus  adorn- 
ing themselves ;  so  that  we  read  in  many 
passages  of  both  scripture  and  the  apocry- 

Eha  of  tiring  the  head  and  braiding  the 
air.  2Kings9:30;  lTim.2:9;  IPet.  3:3; 
Judith  10 : 3.  It  was  also  worn  in  curls : 
the  "  well-set  hair,"  Isa.  3  :  24,  probably  im- 
plied the  artistical  arrangement  of  these. 
There  are  several  references  to  the  curls  in 
the  descriptions  of  Solomon's  Song.  Thus 
"the  chain  of  the  neck,"  Song  of  Sol.  4  : 9, 
might  be  a  long  lock  or  curl  falhng  down 
upon  the  neck ;  and  the  "  galleries,"  R.  V., 
"  tresses,"  7  : 5,  were  the  curls  in  orderly 
array.  The  hair  was  commonly  anointed 
with  fragrant  oil  or  perfume.  Ps.  23  : 5 ;  133 : 
2 ;  Matt.  6  :  17  ;  Luke  7  :  46. 

Ham,  hot.  ov  multitude.  The  son  of  Noah, 
known  for  his  irreverence  to  his  father,  Gen. 
9 :  22,  and  as  the  parent  of  Cush,  Mizraim, 
Phut,  and  Canaan,  Gen.  10  : 6,  who  became 
the  founders  of  large  nations.  Cush  seems 
to  have  been  the  father  of  the  peoples  dwell- 
ing in  Babylonia,  southern  Arabia,  and 
Ethiopia ;  Nimrod  was  his  son.  Gen.  10  : 8. 
Mizraim,  the  Hebrew  word  for  Egj'pt,  was 
the  ancestor  of  the  Egyptians.  Phut  was 
also  the  ancestor  of  an  African  people,  as 
appears  from  the  association  of  his  name 
with  the  descendants  of  Cush  and  the  Lyd- 
ians,  Jer.  46  : 9 ;  see  margin.  Canaan  was 
the  ancestor  of  the  Phoenicians  and  other 
tribes  inhabiting  Palestine.  Egypt  is  called 
"  the  land  of  Ham."  Ps.  78  :  51 ;  105 :  23-27 ; 
106 :  22. 

101 


HAMAN 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


HARAN 


Hamaii  (hd'man),  celebrated.  Prime  min- 
ister of  Aiiasuerus,  the  Persian  monarch. 
Esth.  3 :  1.  His  pride  was  hurt  because 
Mordecai,  the  Jew,  refused  to  bow  and  do 
him  reverence.  Esth.  3  :  12.  He  was  executed 
on  the  very  gallows  he  had  prepared  for 
Mordecai.  Esth.  7 :  10.  The  Jews,  on  the 
mention  of  his  name  on  the  day  of  Purim, 
hiss. 

Hamath  (hd'math),  fortress,  citadel.  A 
city  of  Syria.  It  was  founded  by  a  son  of 
Canaan,  Gen.  10 :  18 ;  Num.  34 : 8,  and  was 
situated  in  the  valley  of  the  Orontes.  It 
was  165  miles  in  a  straight  line  north  of 
Jerusalem  ;  was  visited  by  the  spies,  Num. 
13  :  21,  and  it  is  frequently  noticed  as  the 
northern  boundary  of  Palestine.  Num.  31 : 
8  ;  Josh.  13  :  5.  Its  king,  Toi,  blessed  David 
for  his  victory  over  Zobah,  2  Sam.  8 :  9-12  ; 
Solomon  extended  his  kingdom  to  Hamath, 
1  Kings  8  :  65  ;  2  Chron.  8  : 4,  and  built  store- 
cities  in  that  region;  afterward  the  city 
and  country  became  independent,  but  were 
again  subdued  by  Jeroboam  II.  2  Kings  14  : 
25_,  28.  It  was  taken  by  the  Assyrians,  2 
Kings  18  :  34  ;  Isa.  10  :  9 ;  Amos  calls  it  "  Ha- 
math the  great,"  and  speaks  of  its  desola- 
tion. Amos  6  :  2.  Its  modem  name  is  Ha- 
mah,  and  it  is  now  a  place  of  30,000  in- 
habitants. 

Hananiah  {hcln'a-nt'ah),  whom  God  hath 
given.  1.  A  false  prophet  and  contemporary 
with  Jeremiah.  Jer.  28  :  3.  He  died  tha't 
year.  Jer.  28  :  17.  There  are  15  pei-sons  of 
this  name  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament. 

Handicraft.  Acts  18:3;  19  :  25 ;  Rev. 
18  :  22.  Says  Rabbi  Jehuda,  "  He  who  does 
not  teach  his  son  a  trade  is  much  the  same 
as  if  he  taught  him  to  be  a  thief"  Metal- 
workers. The  preparation  of  iron  for  use 
either  in  war,  in  agriculture,  together  with 
iron,  working  in  brass,  or  rather  copper 
alloyed  with  tin  (bronze),  is  mentioned  as 
practiced  in  antediluvian  times.  Gen.  4  :  22. 
After  the  establishment  of  the  Jews  in 
Canaan,  the  occupation  of  a  smith  became 
a  distinct  employment.  1  Sam.  13  :  19.  The 
smith's  work  and  its  results  are  often  men- 
tioned in  Scripture.  2  Sam.  12  :  31 ;  1  Kings 
6:7;  2  Chron.  26  :  14 ;  Isa.  44  :  12 ;  M  ;  16. 
The  worker  also  in  gold  and  silver  must 
have  found  emplojTuent  among  the  He- 
brews in  very  early  times.  Gen.  24  :  22,  53 ; 
35  : 4 ;  38  :  18.  Various  processes  of  the  gold- 
smith's work  are  illustrated  by  Egyptian 
monuments.  After  the  conquest  frequent 
notices  are  found  of  both  moulded  and 
wrought  metal,  including  soldering.  Car- 
penters  are  often  mentioned  in  Scripture. 
Gen.  6  :  14 ;  Ex.  37 ;  Isa.  44  :  13.  In  the  pal- 
ace built  by  David  for  himself  the  work- 
men employed  were  chiefly  foreigners.  2 
Sam.  5  :  11.  That  the  Jewish  carpenters 
must  have  been  able  to  carve  with  some 
skill  is  evident  from  Isa.  41 : 7 ;  44 :  13.  In 
the  New  Testament  the  occupation  of  a 
carpenter  is  mentioned  in  connection  with 
Joseph  the  husband  of  Mary,  and  our 
Lord  himself  was  a  carpenter.'  ISIatt.  13  : 
55 ;  Mark  6  : 3.  Masmis  and  stone-cutters 
were  employed  by  David  and  Solomon, 
many  of  whom  were  Phcenicians.  1  Kings 
5 :  18.  The  large  stones  vised  in  Sol- 
102 


omon's  temple  are  said  by  Josephus  to 
have  been  fitted  together  exactly  without 
either  mortar  or  clamps,  but  the  foundation 
stones  to  have  been  fastened  with  lead. 
For  ordinary  building  mortar  was  used  ; 
sometimes  bitumen,  as  at  Babvlon.  Gen. 
11 : 3  ;  Ezek.  13  :  10.  The  use  of  whitewash 
on  tombs  is  noticed  by  our  Lord,  ilatt.  23 : 
27.  Shiphoat-buUding  was  common  to  some 
extent,  for  there  were  the  fishing-vessels  on 
the  Lake  of  Gennesaret.  Matt.  8  :  23 :  9:1: 
John  21 : 3,  8.  Solomon  built  ships  for  his 
foreign  trade.  1  Kings  9  :  26,  27 ;  22  :  48 ;  2 
Chron.  20 :  36, 37.  Apothecaries  or  perfumers 
appear  to  have  formed  a  guild  or  associa- 
tion. Ex.  30 :  25,  35 ;  2  Chron.  16  :  14  ;  Neh. 
3:8;  Eccles.  7 : 1 ;  10 : 1.  The  arts  of  spin- 
ning and  weaving  both  wool  and  linen  were 
carried  on  in  early  times  bv  women.  Ex. 
35 :  25,  26 ;  Lev.  19  :  19 ;  Dent.  22 :  11 ;  2  Kings 
23:7;  Ezek.  16:16;  Prov.  31:13,  24.  The 
loom  with  its  beam,  1  Sam.  17 : 7,  pin,  Judg. 
16 :  14,  and  shuttle.  Job  7  : 6,  was  perhaps 
introduced  later,  but  as  early  as  David's 
time.  1  Sam.  17  : 7.  Dyeing  and  dressing 
cloth  were  practiced  m  Palestine,  as  were 
also  tanning  and  dressing  leather.  Josh.  2 : 
15-18 ;  2  Kings  1:8;  Matt.  3:4;  Acts  9  :  43. 
Barbers.  Num.  6 : 5,  19 ;  Ezek.  5 : 1.  Tent- 
makers  are  noticed  in  Acts  18:3.  Potters 
are  frequently  alluded  to.  Jer.  18 : 2-6. 
Bakers  are  noticed  in  Scripture,  Jer.  37  :  21 ; 
Hos.  7:4;  and  the  well-knoAvn  valley  Tyro- 
poeon  probably  derived  its  name  from  the 
occupation  of  the  cheese-makers,  its  in- 
habitants. Dealers  in  meat,  not  Jewish, 
are  spoken  of  in  1  Cor.  10 :  25. 

Hannah  (hCin'nah),  grace.  One  of  the 
wives  of  Elkanah,  and  the  mother  of 
Samuel.  Her  song  of  praise  on  this  occa- 
sion, 1  Sam.  2  : 1-10,  is  a  magnificent  hymn 
to  the  holiness  and  justice  of  Jehovah, 'and 
has  been  compared  with  the  song  of  ilaiy. 
Luke  1 :  46-55, 

Hanun  [hd'nun),  favored.  1.  The  son  of 
Nahash,  king  of  the  Ammonites.  He  dis- 
graced David's  ambassadors,  and  thus 
caused  the  ruin  of  his  people.  2  Sam.  10  ; 
1  Chron.  19.  2.  One  who,  with,  the  inhab- 
itants of  Zanoah,  helped  to  repair  the  wall 
of  Jerusalem.  Neh.  3 :  13.  3.  Another  per- 
son, apparentlv,  who  also  helped  in  repair- 
ing the  wall.    Neh.  3 :  30. 

Haran  {hcVran),  a  mountaineer.  1.  The 
brother  of  Abraham,  and  the  father  of  Lot, 
Gen.  11 :  26.    2.  A  Levite.    1  Chron.  23  : 9. 

Haran  (hd'ran),  parched,  dnj ;  called 
Cliarran  (kdr'ran).  Acts  7  :  2.  4  A  V.  The 
place  to  which  Terah  removed  from  Ur  of 
the  Chaldees.  Terah  died  there,  Gen.  11 : 
31,  32 :  Abram  and  Lot  moved  to  Canaan, 
Gen.  12  : 4,  while  Nahor  remained  at  Haran, 
which  Avas  called  the  city  of  Nahor.  Gen. 
24  :  10.  It  was  the  early  home  of  Rebekah, 
and  Jacob  afterward  'resided  there  with 
Laban.  Gen.  27 :  43.  The  city  was  in  Mes- 
opotamia, and  more  definitely  in  Padan- 
aram.  Gen.  24  :  10 ;  25  :  20,  and  also  in  west- 
ern Assyria.  It  is  generally  identified  with 
the  modern  Haran,  the  Roman  Carrse,  situ- 
ated on  tlie  river  Belik— the  ancient  Bili- 
chus— about  50  miles  above  its  entrance 
into  the  Euphrates. 


HARE 


OF  THE  BIBLE 


HAZAEL 


Hare.  Deut.  14 :7.  Of  the  hare,  which 
resembles  the  rabbit,  five  species  or  varieties 
are  found  in  Palestine.  This  animal  was 
declared  unclean  by  the  Jewish  law,  Lev. 
11 : 6,  "  because  he  cheweth  the  cud,  but  di- 
videth  not  the  hoof"  For  popular  guidance 
this  description  ^vas  better  than  a  more 
scientific  one,  and  is  explained  under 
Coney. 

Harod  (ha'rod),trembling,  terror.  A  spring 
bv  which  Gideon  encamped,  and  where 
probably  the  trial  of  the  army  by  their  mode 
of  drinking  was  made,  Judg.  7  ;  perhaps  the 
same  with  the  fountain  of  Jezreel.  1  Sam. 
29 : 1.  It  is  hkely  that  the  modern  'Ain  Ja- 
lud  is  the  spring  of  Harod. 

Harosheth  {ha-ra'shWi),  working  in  wood, 
etc.,  of  the  Gentiles.  So  called  from  the 
mixed  people  who  dwelt  there.  A  place 
in  the  north  of  Palestine,  the  home  of  Sis- 
era,  Judg.  4  : 2, 13, 16,  and  the  place  of  as- 
sembling of  Jabin's  army. 

Harp.  The  national  musical  instrument 
of  the  Hebrews.  Its  invention  is  credited 
to  Jubal  before  the  flood.  Gen.  4 :  21.  Jo- 
sephus  records  that  the  harp  had  ten  strings 
and  that  it  was  played  on  mth  the  plec- 
trum. Sometimes  it  was  smaller,  having 
only  eight  strings,  and  was  usually  played 
with  the  fingers. 

Harrow.  It  is  very  questionable 
whether  the  Hebrews  used  a  harrow  in  our 
sense  of  the  term.  In  Job  39 :  10 ;  Isa.  28 : 
24 ;  Hos.  10 :  12,  breaking  the  clods  is  alluded 
to ;  but  this  was  before  sowing  the  seed, 
just  to  level  the  ground.  The  word  trans- 
lated "harrow"  in  2  Sam.  12  :31 ;  1  Chron. 
20  : 3,  means  a  sharp  threshing-sledge. 

Hart,  Hind.  Ps.  42  : 1.  The  foiTuer  is 
the  male  stag,  one  of  the  most  graceful  and 
beautiful  of  all  animals.  It  v/as  clean  by 
the  Levitical  law,  Deut.  12 :  15 ;  14  : 5,  and 
the  grace  and  agihty  of  its  motions  are  al- 
luded to  in  Song  of  Sol.  2:9;  Isa.  35 : 6. 
The  stag  lolls  or  pants  Like  the  dog,  and  is 
soon  exhausted  by  hunger.  Jer.  14  :  5 ; 
Lam.  1 : 6.  The  hind  is  the  female  stag. 
She  is  smaller  and  weaker  than  her  mate, 
the  hart,  and  has  no  horns.  She  is  sure 
and  swift  of  foot,  and  leaps  fearlessly 
among  the  rocks  and  precipices.  2  Sam. 
22  :  34 :  Ps.  18  :  33  ;  Hab.  3  :  19.  The  instinct- 
ive affection  of  the  hart  and  hind  is  alluded 
to,  Prov.  5 :  18,  19,  and  Song  of  Sol.  2 : 7 ;  3  : 
5.  The  figurative  prediction  of  Jacob  re- 
specting NaphtaU,  Gen.  49 :  21,  would  be 
more  appropriately  rendered,  "  Naphtali  is 
a  deer  roaming  at' large ;  he  shooteth  forth 
noble  antlers."  The  antlers  or  horns  indi- 
cate the  strength  and  health  of  the  stag, 
and  the  whole  metaphor  expresses  the  in- 
crease of  the  tribe  and  the  fertihty  of  their 
portion  in  Judsea. 

Harvest  in  Palestine  was  in  March  and 
April,  and  the  term  is  frequently  employed 
to  designate  this  season  of  the  vear.  Josh. 
3 :  15 ;  Prov.  6  : 8.  The  harvests  of  the  dif- 
ferent grains  happened  in  regular  succes- 
sion, and  are  known  as  the  "wheat-har- 
vest," 1  Sam.  12:17,  and  the  "barley -har- 
vest," Ruth  1:22.  The  grain  was  reaped 
with  sickles,  Jer.  50  :  16,  gathered  in  hand- 
fuls,  Ruth  2 :  16,  and  done  up  into  sheaves, 


Ps.  129:7.  It  was  then  conveyed  to  the 
barns  or  threshing-floors,  sometimes  in 
carts,  Amos  2 :  13,  where  it  was  threshed  or 
wiimowed.  One  mode  of  threshing  was  by 
the  treading  of  oxen,  which  it  was  forbid- 
den to  muzzle.  Deut.  25  : 4.  Harvest  was  a 
season  of  great  joy  and  merriment.  Isa.  9 : 
3.  Our  Lord  refers  to  the  end  of  the  world 
under  the  term  of  harvest.  Matt.  13:39, 
whose  reapers  will  be  the  angels.  The  angel 
is  represented  figuratively  as  at  that  time 
thrusting  in  his  sickle,  "for  the  harvest  of 
the  earth  is  ripe."    Rev.  14 :  15. 

Han  ran  {haw' ran),  carets,  caverns.  A 
country  east  of  the  Jordan  ;  the  northeast- 
ern boundary  of  Palestine,  Ezek.  47  :  16, 18, 
and  the  Auranitis  of  the  Greeks,  and  now 
known  as  the  Hauran,  When  the  Israelites 
conquered  the  land,  the  whole  of  this  re- 
gion appears  to  have  been  subject  to  Og, 
the  king  of  Bashan,  Num.  21 :  33-35  ;  Deut. 
3 : 1-5,  and  a  large  portion  of  it  was  allotted 
to  INIanasseh.  The  ruins  scattered  over  the 
region  are  very  extensive  and  remarkable ; 
those  built  in  the  caverns  are  regarded  by 
Wetzstein  as  the  most  ancient,  and  possibly 
reaching  back  to  the  times  of  the  Rephaim. 
Gen.  14 : 5  ;  15 :  20,  and  Deut.  3 :  11. 

Havilali  {Itdv'i-lah  or  ha-vi'lah),  circle,  dis- 
trict. A  country  abounding  in  gold,  bdel- 
lium, and  onyx  stone.  Gen.  2 :  11.  Havi- 
lah  is  mentioned  as  a  boundary  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Ishmael.  Gen.  25  :  18.  Kaliscii 
supposes  that  it  was  a  cotintry  between  the 
Persian  and  the  Arabian  gulfs ;  others  hold 
that  the  "  country  of  Havilah  "  in  1  Sam. 
15:7  refers  to  the  region  about  Mount  Seir, 
and  that  it  was  not  probably  identical  with 
the  Havilah  of  Gen.  2 :  11. 

Havoth-Jair  (ha'voth-jd'ir),  villages  of 
Jair.  A  ti tie  apphed  to  certain  vil lages  east 
of  the  Jordan  which  Jair  captured  and 
held.  Num.  32 :  41 ;  Judg.  10 : 4,  The  towns 
of  Jair  are  included  with  the  60  cities  given 
to  Manasseh,  Josh.  13 :  30  ;  1  Chron.  2  :  23 ; 
but  the  word  rendered  "villages"  usually 
means  a  small  collection  of  hovels  in  a 
country  place.  These  towns  were  a  part  of 
one  of  the  revenue  districts  of  Solomon.  1 
Kings  4 :  13. 

Hazael  {Mz'a-el  or  hd'za-eV),  whom  God 
beholds,  i.  e.,  cares  for.  A  king  of  Syria.  1 
Kings  19  :  15, 17.  Jehu  was  to  extirpate  the 
authors  of  idolatry,  Hazael  to  chastise  the 
whole  nation  of  Israel,  and  Elisha  to  slay 
with  the  quick  and  powerful  sword  of  the 
divine  word.  Comp.  Jer.  1 :  10.  When 
Ehsha  visited  Damascus,  and  Ben-hadad, 
who  was  sick,  had  sent  Hazael,  a  trtisted 
servant,  to  inquire  whether  he  should  re- 
cover, Elisha  intimated  his  approaching 
sovereignty.  Hazael  was  astonished.  The 
next  day,  however,  Ben-hadad  died,  appar- 
ently by  Hazael's  hand,  though  some  ques- 
tion this ;  and  Hazael  succeeded  as  king ; 
and  his  reign,  with  the  exception  of  the 
time  when  he  was  called  on  to  defend  him- 
self against  the  Assyrian  power,  was  occu- 
pied with  continual  wars  upon  Israel  and 
even  against  Judah.  2  Kings  8  :  7-15,  28, 
29  ;  9  :  14,  15  ;  10  :  32,  33  ;  12  :  17,  18  ;  13  :  3  ;  2 
Chron.  22 : 5,  6.  Hazael  is  supposed  to  have 
reigned  about  46  years,  886-840  b.c.  He 
103 


JTAZOB 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


HELli 


was  succeeded  by  his  son,  Ben-hadad  11. 
2  Kings  13 :  22-25 ;  Amos  1 : 4. 

Hazor  {hd'zdr),  enclosure.  1.  The  city  of 
King  Jabin ;  destroyed  by  Joshua,  Josh.  11 : 
1, 10, 11 ;  given  to  Naphtah,  Josh.  19  :  36 ; 
again  possessed  by  the  Canaanites,  Judg.  4 : 
2,  who  had  for  its  king  Jabin— a  generic 
title,  probably,  hke  Pharaoh  in  Egypt— who 
reigned  in  Hazor  and  whose  general  was 
Sisera.  It  was  fortified  by  Solomon,  1  Kings 
9 :  15  ;  its  people  were  carried  into  captivity 
by  Tiglath-pileser.  2  Kings  15  :  29.  The 
city  appears  to  have  been  situated  on  a  hill 
in  the  midst  of  a  plain,  and  was  a  strong- 
hold. Josh.  11 : 4 ;  Judg.  4:3.  2.  A  city  in 
the  south  of  Judah;  probably  should  be 
written  Hazor-ithman.  Josh.  15 :  23.  3. 
Another  town  of  Judah ;  called  Hazor-ha- 
dattah,  or  New  Hazor.  Josh.  15 :  25.  4. 
Hezron,  which  is  Hazor,  Josh.  15  :  25 ;  ren- 
dered by  Canon  Cook  "Kerioth  Hezron, 
wliich  is  Hazor."  It  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  home  of  Judas  Iscariot,  the  man 
of  Kerioth,  Matt.  10  :  4 ;  Conder  suggested 
Kheshram,  north  of  Beer-sheba,  as  the  site 
of  this  Hazor. 

Heart.  Acts  16 :  14.  The  seat  of  the  affec- 
tions, desires,  hopes,  and  motives.  John 
14 : 1 ;  Esth.  1  :  10.  The  term  is  also  used 
by  the  Bible  writera  to  designate  the  under- 
standing, 1  Cor.  2  : 9,  and  intellectual  per- 
ceptions. It  is  further  a  general  term  for 
the  spiritual  nature  of  man.  Isa.  1 : 5 ;  2 
Cor.  4:6.  In  the  latter  passage  the  apostle 
speaks  of  the  light  shining  in  our  hearts, 
teaching  us  of  Christ  as  the  one  who  re- 
veals God.  The  heart  is  declared  to  be 
corrupt  and  full  of  evil,  Eccl.  9  : 3,  and  de- 
ceit, Jer.  17  : 9,  the  seat  of  sin  and  crime. 
Matt.  15  :  19,  as  also  of  faith.  Rom.  10  :  10. 
The  Lord  "looketh  on  the  heart,"  1  Sam. 
16 : 7,  in  contrast  to  the  outward  appear- 
ance, and  we  are  commanded  to  cultivate 
it,  as  the  most  important  part  of  our  na- 
ture, rather  than  external  appearances. 
Prov.  4:4;  Joel  2  :  13.  The  expression,  "  to 
speak  in  the  heart,"  1  Sam.  1 :  13,  is  synony- 
mous with  "  to  think." 

Heaven.  There  are  four  Hebrew  words 
thus  rendered  in  the  Old  Testament.  1. 
Reiki' a,  A.  V.  firmament.  2.  Shdmayini; 
used  in  the  expression,  "  the  heaven  and 
the  earth,"  or  "  the  upper  and  lower  re- 
gions." Gen.  1:1.  3.  Mdrom,  used  for 
heaven  in  Ps.  18  :  16  ;  Isa.  24  :  18  ;  Jer.  25  : 
30.  Properlv  speaking,  it  means  a  moun- 
tain, as  in  Ps.  102  :  19  ;  Ezek.  17  :  23.  4. 
Shechdkim,  "expanses,"  with  reference  to 
the  extent  of  heaven.  Deut.  33  :  26  ;  Job  35 : 
5.  Paul's  expression,  "  third  heaven,"  2  Cor. 
12  :  2,  has  led  to  much  conjecture.  Grotius 
said  that  the  Jews  divided  the  heaven  into 
three  parts,  viz.,  1.  The  air  or  atmosphere, 
where  clouds  gather.  2.  The  firmament, 
in  which  the  sun,  moon,  and  stars  are  fixed. 
3.  The  upper  heaven,  the  abode  of  God  and 
his  angels. 

Heher  {he'ber),  alliance.  HebertheKenite, 
the  husband  of  Jael,who  slew  Sisera.  Judg. 
4 :  21,  22.  See  Jael,  Sisera.  Heber  ap- 
pears to  have  led  a  life  apart  from  the  rest 
of  his  tribe.  He  must  have  been  a  person 
of  consequence,  from  the  fact  that  it  is 
104 


stated  that  there  was  peace  between  him 
and  the  powerful  king  Jabin.  Judg.  4 :  17. 
There  are  seven  persons  of  this  name  men- 
tioned in  the  Scriptures. 

Hebrew  {he'brew),  a  name  given  to 
Abram  by  the  Canaanites,  Gen.  14  :  13,  be- 
cause he  had  crossed  the  Euphrates.  The 
name  some  derive  from  'eber,  "beyond,  on 
the  other  side,"  Abraham  and  his  pos- 
terity being  called  Hebrews  in  order  to  ex- 
press a  distinction  between  the  races  east 
and  west  of  the  Euphrates.  It  may  also  be 
derived  from  Eber,  or  Hcber,  one  of  the  an- 
cestors of  Abraham.  Gen.  10  :  24.  See  Jews. 

Hebrews,  Epistle  to  the.  The  aim 
of  this  epistle  is  to  prove  from  the  Old  Tes- 
tament the  divinity,  humanity,  atonement 
and  intercession  of  Christ,  and  his  pre- 
eminence over  Moses  and  the  angels  of 
God ;  to  demonstrate  the  superiority  of  the 
gospel  to  the  law,  and  the  real  object  and 
design  of  the  Mosaic  institution.  The  name 
of  the  writer  of  this  epistle  is  nowhere  men- 
tioned. Its  authorship  is  disputed,  many 
ascribing  it  to  the  apostle  Paul,  others  to 
Apollos,  Luke,  or  Barnabas.  It  is  believed 
to  have  been  written  in  Italy  about  a.  d. 
63. 

Hebron  (he'bron),  friendship.  An  an- 
cient town  of  Palestine,  about  20  miles 
south  of  Jerusalem,  first  called  Kirjath-arba, 
or  city  of  Arba.  Josh.  21  :  11 ;  15 :  13,  14 ; 
Judg.  1 :  10.  It  hes  about  3000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea,  and  is  one  of  the  old- 
est towns  in  the  world  and  mentioned  be- 
fore Damascus,  Gen.  13  :  18  ;  14  :  13  ;  and 
was  built  7  years  before  Zoan,  or  Tanis,  in 
Egypt,  Num.  13  :  22.  Hebron  is  named  about 
forty  times  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  no- 
where in  the  New.  Abraham  pitched  his 
tent  under  the  oaks  of  Mamre,  near  He- 
bron, Gen.  13  :  18,  and  he  bought  the  cave  of 
Machpelah,  as  a  burial-place.  Gen.  23 :  17- 
20.  Hebron  was  taken  by  Joshua,  Josh.  10  : 
36,  37  ;  12 :  10,  and  the  region  given  to  Ca- 
leb, Josh.  14  :  13 ;  was  rebuilt  and  made  a 
Levitical  city  and  a  city  of  refuge.  Josh. 
20:7;  21:11;  was  the  royal  residence  of 
David,  2  Sam.  2  : 1-14 ;  1  Kings  2  :  11 ;  be- 
came the  headquarters  of  the  rebellious 
Absalom,  2  Sam.  15  :  10 ;  was  fortified  by 
Rehoboam  and  repeopled  after  the  captiv- 
ity. 2  Chron.  11 :  10 ;  Neh.  11 :  25.  A  pool 
is  still  shown  over  which  tradition  says  that 
David  hung  the  murderers  of  Ishbosheth, 
and  the  tomb  of  Abner  and  Ishbosheth  is 
also  pointed  out  within  an  Arab  house,  and 
the  mosque  is  known  to  conceal  the  noted 
cave  of  Machpelah,  the  burial-place  of 
Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  and  their  wives 
except  Rachel.  The  mosque  is  closed 
against  visitors  and  guarded  with  the  strict- 
est care  by  the  Moslems. 

Helboii  (heVbdn),  fertile.  A  Syrian  city 
celebrated  for  its  wine,  Ezek.  27 :  18,  and 
formerly  identified  with  Aleppo,  but  later 
with  Halbftn,  in  a  wild  glen  high  up  in  the 
Anti-Lebanon.  This  valley  is  celebrated 
for  its  fine  grapes  and  vineyards.  Robin- 
son says  "the  wine  of  Halbtin"  is  the  best 
and  most  famous  wine  in  the  country. 

Hell.  The  English  word  hell  is  used 
to  designate  the  place  of  the  dead,  the 


HERESY 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


HEROD 


grave,  and  also  the  place  of  punishment 
after  death  and  the  abode  of  evil  spirits. 

It  represents  four  different  words  in  the 
original  of  Scripture— .S'/ieo^,  Hades,  Gehenna, 
and  Tartarus.  1.  In  the  Old  Testament  it  is 
used  31  times  to  render  the  Hebrew  word 
Sheul.  Sheol  at  first  seems  to  have  denoted 
the  common  subterranean  abode  of  all 
human  spirits,  good  and  bad  (Gen.  37 :  35, 
R.  v.,  death;  Num.  16:30),  but  afterward 
is  represented  as  having  in  it  two  distinct 
regions,  one  for  the  righteous,  Ps.  16  :  11 ; 
17  :  15,  the  other  for  the  wicked.  Ps.  9  :  17  ; 
49 :  14.  All  the  dead  are  alike  in  SlieOl, 
but  in  widely  different  circumstances. 
Sheol  is  variously  translated  in  our  EngUsh 
Bible  by  the  terms  "hell,"  "pit,"  and 
"grave."  In  many  places  it  is  rightly 
tianslated  "grave."  1  Sam.  2:6;  Job  14: 
13,  etc.  Sheol  is  represented  as  in  the  depths 
of  the 'earth.  Job  11 :  S ;  Prov.  9  :  18 ;  Isa.  38 : 
10,  all-devouring,  Prov.  1 :  12,  destitute  of 
God's  presence,  Ps.  88 :  10-12,  a  state  of  for- 
getfulness,  Ps.  6 :  5,  insatiable,  Isa.  5  :  14, 
remorseless,  Song  of  Sol.  8 : 6,  and  a  place 
of  silence,  Eccl.  9 :  10. 

2.  The  New  Testament.— The  two  words 
translated  "hell"  are  Hades  and  Gehenna. 
Hades  occurs  eleven  times,  and  is  once 
rendered  "  grave,"  R.V.,  "  death,"  1  Cor.  15 : 
55  ;  in  all  other  places  "  hell."  Hades  does 
not  always  refer  to  the  ultimate  abode  of  the 
impenitent  and  the  final  state  of  exclusion 
from  God.  Matt.  16  :  27.  After  the  crucifix- 
ion, our  Lord  descended  into  hades,  Acts 
2 :  27,  and  this  is  an  article  of  the  Apostles' 
Creed,  where,  however,  we  use  wrongly 
the  word  "  hell."  It  was  in  this  realm  that 
our  Lord  "  preached  to  the  spirits  in 
prison."    1  Pet.  3:19. 

The  Greek  word  Gehenna  occurs  twelve 
times  in  Scripture.  It  early  designated  a 
place  in  the  valley  of  Hinnom,  which  had 
been  tiie  seat  of  the  worship  of  jNIoloch, 
Jer.  7  :  31 ;  2  Chron.  33  : 6 ;  2  Kings  23 :  10, 
and  for  the  deposit  of  the  filth  and  dead 
animals  of  the  city.  Hence  it  was  used  to 
denote  the  final  state  and  abode  of  lost 
souls.  Matt.  5:29;  10:28;  23:15;  Jas.  3: 
6,  etc.  It  is  here  that  "  their  worm  dieth 
not"  and  the  "fire  is  not  quenched." 
Mark  9  :  48.  Into  this  realm  the  rebelhous 
angels  were  cast,  2  Pet.  2 : 4  (where  the 
word  is  a  derivative  from  the  Greek  word 
"Tartarus").  At  the  great  day  of  judg- 
ment the  cursed  shall  go  away  into  this 
abode  and  receive  everlasting  punish- 
ment. Matt.  25 :  46.  It  is  referred  to  by 
our  Lord  in  solemn  and  awful  tones.  Matt. 
5 :  22,  29,  30 ;  10 :  28 ;  Mark  9  :  43-48 ;  Luke  12 : 
5,  and  with  such  accompaniments  as  indi- 
cate everlasting  and  remediless  ruin.  Retri- 
bution will  have  degrees.  Matt.  10:15,  in 
character,  but  none  in  duration. 

Heresy.  Acts  24  :  14,  A.  V.  This  term, 
as  generally  used  by  the  sacred  writers, 
signifies  a  party  or  division,  R.  V.  "a  sect." 
It  is  derived  from  a  word  meaning  "to 
choose."  Tlie  Pharisees,  Acts  15:5;  26:5, 
and  the  Sadducees,  Acts  5  :  17,  as  well  as  the 
Nazarenes,  Acts  24  : 5, 12,  14,  were  denomin- 
ated heresies.  In  these  passages  tlie  word 
is  translated  "  sects."  In  Acts  24  :  14,  where 


Paul  speaks  of  the  Christian  religion  as 
"  the  way  which  they  call  heresy,"  he  un- 
doubtedly means  to  imply  that  the  Chris- 
tian organization  was  not  a  separation 
from  the  Old  Testament  Church,  but  the 
true  Church  itself.  In  1  Cor.  11 :  19  ;  Gal. 
5  :  20,  and  2  Pet.  2  : 1  heresies  are  referred 
to  in  connection  with  the  apostolic  Cliurch, 
and  in  the  last  two  cases  the  implication 
is  that  they  are  departures  from  the  fun- 
damental truth  of  the  gospel,  and  to  be 
condemned.  Early  in  the  history  of  the 
Christian  Church  the  word  acquired  the 
signification  it  now  has,  of  a  departure  from 
the  fundamentals  of  gospel  truth. 

Hernaon  {her'mon),  a  peak,  summit.  The 
highest  mountain  in  Palestine,  Dent.  3:8; 
Josh.  12  : 1 ;  Josh.  11 :  17  ;  1  Chron.  5  :  23.  It 
towers  high  above  the  ancient  border  city 
of  Dan  and  the  fountains  of  the  Jordan, 
and  is  the  most  conspicuous  and  beautiful 
mountain  in  Palestine  or  Syria.  Herrnon 
has  three  summits,  situated  like  the  angles 
of  a  triangle,  and  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  each  other.  In  two  passages  of  Scrip- 
ture this  mountain  is  called  Baal-hermon, 
Judg.  3:3;  1  Chron.  5  :  23,  possibly  because 
Baal  was  there  worshipped.  Hermon  was 
probably  the  scene  of  the  transfiguration, 
as  it  stands  near  CiBsarea  Philippi,  where 
we  know  Christ  was  just  before  that  event. 
The  height  of  Hermon  is  reckoned  at 
10,000  feet. 

Herod  (Mr'od),  hero-like.  A  family  of  Idu- 
mean  origin.  Not  less  than  six  Herods  ex- 
clusive of  Archelaus  are  noted  in  Scripture  ; 

1.  Herod  the  Great  was  the  second  son  of 
Antipater  and  appointed  procurator  of 
Judsea  by  Julius  Caesar,  b.  c.  47.  In  b.  c.  41 
he  was  appointed  by  Antony  tetrarch  of 
Judsea.  Forced  to  abandon  Judsea  the 
following  year,  he  fled  to  Rome,  and  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  king  of  Judsea. 
It  was  some  time  before  his  fatal  illness  that 
he  must  have  caused  the  slaughter  of  the 
infants  at  Bethlehem.  Matt.  2  :  16-18.  He 
adorned  Jerusalem  with  many  splendid 
monuments  of  his  taste  and  magnificence. 
The  temple,  which  he  built  with  scrupulous 
care,  was  the  greatest  of  these  works.  The 
restoration  was  begun  b.  c.  20,  and  the 
temple  itself  was  completed  in  a  year  and 
a  half  But  fresh  additions  were  constantly 
made  in  succeeding  years,  so  that  it  was 
said  that  the  temple  was  building  forty 
and  six  years,  John  2  :  20,  the  work  con- 
tinuing long  after  Herod's  death.  Herod 
died  at  Jericho,  B.  c.  4. 

2.  Herod  Antipas,  the  son  of  Herod  the 
Great,  first  married  a  daughter  of  Aretas, 
"king  of  Arabia  Petrsea,"  but  afterward 
Herodias,  the  wife  of  his  half  brother, 
Herod  Philip.  Aretas,  indignant  at  the 
insult  to  his  daughter,  invaded  the  terri- 
tory of  Herod,  and  defeated  him  with  great 
loss.  This  defeat,  according  to  the  famous 
passage  in  Josephus,  was  attributed  by 
many  to  the  murder  of  John  the  Baptist, 
which  had  been  committed  by  Antipas 
shortly  before,  under  the  influence  of  He- 
rodias. Matt.  14  : 4 ;  Mark  6  :  17  ff. ;  Luke  3 : 
19.  At  a  later  time  Herodias  urged  liim  to 
go  to  Rome  to  gain  the  title  of  king,  cf. 

105 


HERODIANS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


HIERAPOLIS 


Mark  6 :  14 ;  but  he  was  opposed  at  the 
court  of  Caligula  by  the  emissaries  of 
Agrippa,  and  condemned  to  perpetual 
banishment  at  Lugdunum,  a.  d.  39.  He- 
rodias  voluntarily  shared  his  punishment, 
and  he  died  in  exile.  Pilate  took  occasion 
from  our  Lord's  residence  in  Gahlee  to  send 
Jesus  to  Herod  Antipas,  Luke  23  : 6  ff.  The 
city  of  Tiberias,  which  Antipas  founded 
and  named  in  honor  of  the  emperor,  was 
the  most  conspicuous  monument  of  his 
long  reign. 

3.  Herod  Philip  I.,  Phihp,  Mark  6 :  17, 
was  the  son  of  Herod  the  Great  and  Mari- 
amne.  He  married  Herodias,  the  sister  of 
Agrippa  I.,  by  whom  he  had  a  daughter, 
Salome.  He  was  excluded  from  all  share 
in  his  father's  possessions  in  consequence 
of  his  mothers  treachery,  and  lived  after- 
ward in  a  private  station. 

4.  Herod  Philip  II.  was  the  son  of  Herod 
the  Great  and  Cleopatra.  He  received  as 
his  own  government  Balanea,  Trachonitis, 
Auranitis  (Gaulanitis),  and  some  parts  about 
Jamnia,  with  the  title  of  tetrarch.  Luke  3  : 
1.  He  built  a  naw  city  on  the  site  of  Paneas, 
near  the  sources  of  the  Jordan,  which  he 
called  Csesarea  Philippi,  Matt.  16  :  13 ;  Mark 
8  :  27,  and  rai.sed  Bethsaida  to  tlie  rank  of  a 
city  under  the  title  of  Julias,  and  died  there 
A.  D.  34.  He  married  Salome,  the  daughter 
of  Herod  Phihp  I.  and  Herodias. 

5.  Herod  Agrippa  I.  was  the  son  of  Aris- 
tobulus  and  Bernice,  and  grandson  of 
Herod  the  Great.  CaUgula  made  him 
king,  first  of  the  tetrarchy  of  Philip  and 
Lysanias ;  afterward  the  dominions  of  An- 
tipas were  added,  and  finally  Judea  and 
Samaria.  Agrippa  was  a  strict  observer  of 
the  law,  and  he  sought  with  success  the 
favor  of  the  Jews.  It  is  probable  that  it 
was  with  this  view  he  put  to  death  James 
the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  further  imprisoned 
Peter.  Acts  12 : 1  flf.  But  his  sudden  death 
interrupted  his  ambitious  projects.  Acts  12  : 
21,  23. 

6.  Herod  Agrippa  II.  was  the  son  of 
Herod  Agrippa  I.  In  a.  d.  52  the  emperor 
gave  him  the  tetrarchies  formerly  held  by 
Phihp  and  Lysanias,  with  the  title  of  king. 
Acts  25  :  13.  The  relation  in  which  he 
stood  to  his  sister  Bernice,  Acts  25  :  13,  was 
the  cause  of  grave  suspicion.  It  was  before 
him  that  Paul  was  tried.  Acts  26  :  28. 

Herodians  (he-rO'di-anz),  (from  Herod). 
Matt.  22  :  15  if.  ;  Mark  12  :  13  ff.  Canon 
Cook  describes  these  persons  as  "  that  party 
among  the  Jews  who  were  supporters  of 
the  Herodian  familj'  as  the  last  hope  of 
retaining  for  the  JeVs  a  fragment  of  na- 
tional government,  as  distinguished  from 
absolute  dependence  upon  Rome  as  a  prov- 
ince of  the  empire.  Supporters  of  the 
family  of  Herod,  who  held  their  dominions 
by  the  grant  of  the  Roman  emperor,  would 
be  in  favor  of  paving  tribute  to  the  supreme 
power."    Matt.  22:16. 

Herodias  (he-ro'di-as).  Daughter  of 
Aristobulus,  one  of  the  sons  of  Mariamne 
and  Herod  the  Great,  and  consequently 
sister  of  Agrippa  I.  She  first  married  Herod 
Phihp  I. ;  then  she  eloped  from  him  to 
marry  Herod  Antipas,  her  step-uncle.  The 
106 


head  of  John  the  Baptist  was  granted  at  the 
request  of  Herodias.  Matt.  14 :  8-11 ;  Mark 
6  :  24-28,  A.  D.  29. 

H  e  s  li  b  o  n  (heiih'bdn),  reason,  device.  A 
city  of  the  Moabites,  taken  by  Sihon,  king 
of  the  Amorites,  and  made  his  capital; 
captured  and  occupied  by  the  Israelites, 
Num.  21 :  25,  26  ;  situated  on  the  boundary 
between  Reuben  and  Gad  ;  rebuilt  by  Reu- 
ben and  made  a  Levitical  city,  then"  being 
territorially  a  Gadite  city.  Num.  32  : 3,  37  ; 
Deut.  1:4;  2  :  24-30 ;  3  :  2,  6  ;  4 :  46  ;  29 :  7  ; 
Josh.  9  :  10 ;  12  : 2,  5  ;  13  :  10-27  ;  21 :  39 ;  Judg. 
11 :  19,  26 ;  1  Chron.  6  :  81.  In  later  times 
the  Moabites  regained  possession  of  Hesh- 
bon,  so  that  it  is  mentioned  as  a  Moabitish 
town  in  the  prophetic  denunciations  against 
that  people.  Isa.  15  :  4  ;  16  :  8,  9  ;  Jer.  48  :  2, 
34,  45  ;  49  :  3.  The  ruins  of  the  city  still 
exist  some  15  miles  east  of  the  northern  end 
of  the  Dead  sea,  on  the  great  table  land  of 
Moab.  A  small  hill  rises  200  feet  above  the 
general  level,  and  upon  this  is  Heshbon, 
now  called  Hesban.  East  of  the  city  are 
the  remains  of  water-courses  and  an  enor- 
mous cistern,  or  "  fish-pond,"  which  illus- 
trates Song  of  Sol.  7  :  4. 

H  e  z  e  k  i  a  li  (hez'e-M'ah),  whom  God 
strengthens.  A  good  king  of  Judah,  who 
succeeded  his  father  Ahaz  about  726  b.  c, 
and  died  about  698  B.  c.  For  his  history 
see  2  Kings  18-20;  2  Chron.  29-:32.  Com- 
pare Isa.  36-38.  He  tried  to  restore  the  wor- 
ship of  Jehovah,  removing  "high  places," 
and  destroving  the  brazen  serpent ;  con- 
sult 2  Chron.  28 :  22-25 ;  for  the  final  de- 
portation of  the  Ten  Tribes  see  2  Kings  17  ; 
18  : 9-12  ;  and  for  his  revolt  against  the  As- 
syrians compare  2  Kings  18 ;  2  Chron.  32. 
Hezekiah's  payment  of  tribute  is  noted  in 
2  Kings  18  :  13-16.  Assyrian  annals  of  Sen- 
nacherib discovered  at  Nineveh  agree  with 
this  account.  A  second  invasion  seems  to 
have  followed  when  Sennacherib,  Isa.  30 : 
1-7,  returned,  Isa.  33  : 1.  Then  came 
Sennacherib's  letters  from  Lachish  and 
Libnah,  the  destruction  of  a  great  part  of 
his  army,  and  the  retreat  of  the  rest  to  As- 
svria,  in  answer  to  Hezekiah's  prayer.  Com- 
pare Isa.  31 :  8,  9 ;  37  :  33-37.  Hezekiah's 
sickness,  humiliation,  and  prolongation  of 
life  15  years  in  peace,  and  the  prediction 
that  Babylon,  then  feeble  and  friendly, 
would  one  day  carry  his  descendants  into 
captivity  are  noticed"  in  Old  Testament  his- 
tory, Isa.  .39  ;  Micah  4 :  10.  Hezekiah  col- 
lated the  Proverbs  of  Solomon.  Prov.  25 : 1. 
The  prophecies  of  Hosea  and  Micah  were 
dehvered  partly  in  his  reign ;  compare  Jer. 
26 :  17-19  ;  and  Nahum  was  perhaps  his  con- 
temporary. 

Hiddekel  {hMde-kiV),  rapid.  One  of  the 
rivers  of  Eden,  the  river  which  "goeth 
eastward  to  Assyria,"  Gen.  2 :  14,  and  which 
Daniel  calls  "the  great  river,"  Dan.  10  :4, 
rightly  identified  with  the  Tigris.  The 
name  now  in  use  among  the  inhabitants  of 
Mesopotamia  is  Dijleh. 

Hierapolis  {hVe-rdp'o-Us),  sacred  city. 
A  city  in  Proconsular  Asia,  Col.  4 :  13,  near 
the  river  Lycus,  and  in  sight  of  Laodicea, 
which  was  about  5  miles  to  the  south.  It 
stood  on  a  high  bluflf",  with  a  high  moun- 


HIGGAION 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


HITTITES 


tain  behind  it.  In  the  city  was  the  famous 
temple  of  Pluto,  remains  of  which  are  still 
to  be  seen.  The  ruins  of  the  city  are  ex- 
tensive, as  temples,  churches,  a  triumphal 
arch,  a  theatre,  gymnasium,  baths,  and 
highly  ornamented  sarcophagi. 

Higgaion  {hig-gd'yon).  A  term  occur- 
ring three  times,  Ps.  9  :  16 ;  19  :  14  (translated 
"meditation"),  and  Ps.  92  :  3  (translated 
"solemn  sound").  It  probably  was  orig- 
inally a  musical  tenn  which  acquired  the 
additional  signification  of  solemn  thought 
or  meditation. 

High  Places.  The  Hebrew  word 
bamah  is  a  general  term,  comprehending 
mountains  and  hills ;  but  in  Ezek.  20  :  29,  it 
is  given  as  the  proper  name  of  a  place ; 
while  in  other  passages  it  is  usually  and 
correctly  translated  "high  place."  The 
Hebrews,  like  most  other  ancient  nations, 
frequently  offered  sacrifices  upon  "high 
places,"  notwithstanding  the  prohibition  in 
Deut.  12,  both  to  Jehovah  and  to  idols,  1 
Sam.  9  :  12-14  ;  1  Kings  3  : 2,  4 ;  2  Kings  12  : 
3 ;  1  Chron.  16  :  39 ;  and  erected  chapels 
thereon,  and  had  ministers  of  the  sacred 
rites.  1  Kings  12  :  32 ;  13  :  32 ;  2  Kings  17  : 
29,  32.  Even  Solomon,  after  the  erection 
of  the  temple,  and  other  kings,  till  the 
time  of  Josiah,  frequently  sacrificed  on 
hills  and  mountains.  1  Kings  11  :  7  ;  2 
Kings  14  : 4 ;  15 : 4,  35 ;  2  Chron.  20  :  33 ;  Ezek. 
6:3:  Lev.  26 :  30.  Probably  the  massive 
circular  ruins  on  the  summits  of  Hermon 
are  tiie  remains  of  such  places  of  ancient 
idolatrous  worship.  2  Kings  23 :  7  ;  Ezek. 
16:16;  Amos  5: 8. 

High  Priest.  The  head  of  the  Jewish 
priesthood.  Lev.  21  :  10.  Aaron  was  the 
first  to  hold  the  office,  Ex.  28  : 1,  and  his 
descendants  filled  it  after  him.  Eleazar  was 
his  immediate  successor.  Num.  3  :  32 ;  20 : 
28 ;  Deut.  10  :  6,  and  the  priesthood  re- 
mained in  his  family  till  Eli,  1  Chron.  24 : 3, 

6,  who  was  of  the  house  of  Ithamar.  The 
office  of  the  high  priest  was  originally  held 
for  life.  This  rule  was  disregarded  by  Sol- 
omon, who  appointed  Zadok  and  deposed 
Abiathar,  1  Kings  2  :  35,  because  he  had  es- 
poused the  cause  of  Adonijah.    1  Kings  1 : 

7,  25.  In  the  years  succeeding  the  close  of 
the  canon  the  office  became  a  tool  in  the 
hands  of  the  rulers  of  the  land.  Herod 
particularly  and  his  successors  disregarded 
the  tradition  of  the  Jews  on  this  point. 
This  people,  who  held  the  office  so  sacred, 
now  often  begged  their  rulers  to  remove 
the  incumbents,  who  were  parasites  of  the 
throne.  Herod  appointed  no  less  than  five 
high  priests  himself,  and  one  of  them,  Si- 
mon, as  the  price  of  his  daughter  in  mar- 
riage. We  consequently  read  in  the  New 
Testament  of  several  high  priests  living  at 
the  same  time,  and  Annas  and  Caiaphas 
are  particularly  mentioned.  Luke  3 : 2.  The 
services  of  consecration  were  prolonged, 
lasting  seven  days,  Ex.  29  :  35,  and  elabo- 
rate. They  consisted  of  sacrifices,  Ex.  29  ; 
of  anoinring  with  oil,  Ex.  29  :  7  :  30  :  22-,33  ; 
Lev.  21 :  10,  and  of  putting  on  of  garments. 
Ex.  29  :  5,  6,  8,  9.  The  dress  of  the  high 
priest  was  much  more  costly  and  magnifi- 
cent  than  that  of  the   inferior  order  of 


priests.  It  is  described  Ex.  39  : 1-9.  The 
high  priest's  most  solemn,  peculiar,  and  ex- 
clusive duty  was  to  officiate  in  the  most 
holy  place  on  the  great  day  of  atonement. 
Heb.  9  :  7,  25.  See  Atonement,  Day  of. 
In  Lev.  16  we  have  a  full  account  of  this 
most  interesting  service  and  the  imposing 
ceremonies  which  preceded  it.  The  higli 
priest  might  at  any  time  perform  the  du- 
ties assigned  to  the  ordinary  priests.  He 
was  in  general  the  overseer  of  the  temple, 
2  Kings  12  :  10,  and  at  the  time  of  our 
Lord  presided  over  the  Sanhedrin.  Acts  5  : 
17  ;  John  18 :  13,  14,  etc.  Jesus  is  the  great 
High  Priest  who  once  for  all  sprinkled  with 
his  own  blood  the  threshold  of  the  holy  of 
hoUes  (heaven),  where  he  ever  hveth  to 
make  intercession  for  us.  Heb.  4 :  14  ;  7  : 
25;  9:12,  etc. 

Hinnom  {hm'nom),  perhaps  lamentation. 
The  valley  of  the  son  or  sons  of  Hinnom, 
or,  more  concisely,  the  valley  of  Hinnom, 
the  boundary  between  Judah  and  Benja- 
min. Josh.  15 : 8  ;  18  :  16.  It  was  the  place 
where  children  were  made  "  to  pass  through 
the  fire  to  Molech,"  and  was  defiled  by  Jo- 
siah, in  order  to  extinguish  forever  such 
detestable  rites.  2  Kings  23  :  10  ;  2  Chron. 
28:3;  33:6-  Jer.  7  :31,  32  ;  19:2,  6;  32:35. 
It  is  mentioned  after  the  captivity  again  as 
the  frontier  of  Judah  and  Benjamin.  Neh. 
11 :  30.  From  the  fires  of  Moloch  and  from 
the  defilement  of  the  valley,  comp.  Isa.  30 : 
33 ;  66  :  24,  if  not  from  the  supposed  ever- 
burning funeral  fires,  the  later  Jews  apphed 
the  name  of  the  valley  (in  the  Septuagint 
Ge'&nna),  to  the  place  of"  eternal  suffering 
for  lost  angels  and  men ;  and  in  this  sense 
it  is  used  in  the  New  Testament.  Matt.  5  : 
22,  29,  30 ;  10 :  28 ;  Mark  9  :  43,  45,  47  ;  Luke 
18 : 5 ;  Jas.  3 : 6. 

Hiram  {hVram),  noble.  1.  A  distinguished 
king  of  Tyre.  He  was  contemporary  with 
David  and  Solomon,  and  on  terms  of  pofit- 
ical  and  personal  friendship  with  them. 
Under  his  reign  the  city  of  Tyre  became 
celebrated  for  its  wealth  and  magnificence, 
and  the  vast  supplies  he  furnished  to  the 
kings  of  Israel  show  the  greatness  of  his 
resources.  He  aided  David  with  materials 
for  a  palace,  2  Sam.  5 :  11 ;  1  Chron.  14  : 1, 
and  Solomon  in  the  construction  of  the 
temple,  1  Kings  5 : 1-12 ;  9  :  11-14,  furnishing 
workmen  as  well  as  materials.  He  also  al- 
lowed Solomon  to  send  ships  with  the  Tyr- 
ian  ships  under  Tyrian  management.  1 
Kings  9  :  26-28 ;  10  :  11-28.  2.  An  ennnent 
artificer  of  Tyre  who  was  employed  by  Sol- 
omon on  sorne  of  the  most  difficult  of  the 
fixtures  and  furniture  of  the  temple.  1 
Kings  7 :  13. 

Hittites  (htt'tites).  The  tribe  or  nation 
descended  from  Heth,  the  son  of  Canaan. 
Gen.  10  :  15 ;  1  Chron.  1 :  13.  They  were  in- 
habitants of  Canaan  in  the  time  of  Abra- 
ham. Gen.  15  :  20.  They  then  occupied 
the  southern  part  of  the  land,  as  Hebron, 
Gen.  23  :  3-18,  extending  towards  Beer- 
sheba;  since  Esau  married  Hittite  wives, 
and  Isaac  and  Rebekah  feared  that  Jacob 
might  follow  his  example.  Gen.  26 :  34 ;  27  : 
46 ;  28  :  9.  Hittites  evidently,  therefore, 
were  in  the  neighborhood ;  tliey  were  sub- 
107 


HIVITES 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


HOREB 


sequently  in  the  mountainous  region  near 
the  Amorites  and  Jebusites,  Num.  13  :  29  ; 
Josh.  11 : 3 ;  and  were  perhaps  some  of  the 
original  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  Ezek. 
16 :  3,  45,  as  well  as  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Bethel.  Judg.  1 :  22-26.  Indeed,  they  had 
spread  so  extensively,  that  Canaan,  or  at 
least  the  northern  part  of  it,  was  called  the 
"land  of  the  Hittites."  Josh.  1:4.  Some 
suppose  them  to  have  been  a  commercial 
people.  Gen.  23 :  IG.  In  subsequent  times 
we  find  two  of  David's  warriors  Hittites, 
Ahimelech,  1  Sam.  26  : 6,  and  Uriah,  2  Sam. 
11 : 3.  Solomon  rendered  those  that  yet  re- 
mained in  Palestine  tributary,  1  Kings  9 : 
20;  and  they  are  mentioned  after  the  cap- 
tivity. Ezra  9:1.  But  there  are  some  re- 
markable notices  of  Hittites,  Judg.  1 :  26 ;  1 
Kings  10  :  29 ;  2  Kings  7:6;  2  Chron.  1 :  17, 
which  point  to  a  people,  a  branch  of  the 
great  family,  or  the  descendants  of  those 
expelled  from  Palestine,  who  were  settled 
independently  beyond  Lebanon,  and  it 
may  be  on  the  southeastern  frontier  towards 
Arabia.  And  Egyptian  annals  speak  of  a 
war  with  Hittites ;  and  Egyptian  pictures 
are  beUeved  to  represent  Hittites.  These 
representations  may  be  taken  not  unfairly 
to  figure  the  old  Hittites  of  Canaan.  We 
are  learning  much  of  the  Hittites  from  re- 
cent explorations,  but  their  inscriptions 
lately  discovered  have  not  been  certainly 
deciphered  nor  their  records  indisputably 
determined. 

Hivites,  Land  of  tlie  {hVvites).  A  re- 
gion in  Canaan,  along  the  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean,  peopled  by  some  of  the  de- 
scendants of  Canaan,  the  son  of  Ham. 
Gen.  10  :  17 ;  1  Chron.  1 :  15.  On  Jacob's  re- 
turn to  Canaan,  Shechem  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  Hivites,  Hamor  the  Hivite  being 
the  "  prince  of  the  land."  Gen.  34 : 2.  They 
voluntarily  surrendered  their  country  to 
Joshua.  Josh.  9:7;  11 :  19.  The  main  body 
of  the  Hivites  were  then  living  on  the 
northern  confines  of  western  Palestine— 
"under  Hermon  in  the  land  of  Mizpeh," 
Josh.  11:3;  "in  Mount  Lebanon,  from 
Mount  Baal-hermon  unto  the  entering  in 
of  Hamath."  Judg.  3 :  3.  They  paid  trib- 
ute to  Solomon.  1  Kings  9  :  20 ;  2  Chron.  8  : 
7.  Their  country  appears  to  have  been 
afterward  absorbed  by  the  surrounding  na- 
tions. 

Holy  Spirit  or  Holy  Ghost.  The  Holy 
Spirit  or  Holy  Ghost  is  the  third  Person  of 
the  Holy  Trinity,  of  one  essence  or  nature 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  yet  distinct 
from  them.  He  applies  the  work  of  re- 
demption to  us,  and  makes  us  partakers 
of  all  the  benefits  of  Christ,  of  his  right- 
eousness, life,  and  death.  He  is  an  Advo- 
cate, who  pleads  our  cause,  who  strength- 
ens and  comforts  us  and  prepares  us  for 
glory  in  heaven.  Matt.  1  :  18,  20 ;  28  :  19  ; 
John  1:33:  14:26;  16:7,8;  20:22;  Acts  2: 
4 ;  Rom.  5  :  5 ;  2  Cor.  13 :  14 ;  1  Thess.  4  :  8. 
Our  A.  V.  uses,  in  most  passages,  the  term 
Holy  Ghost;  but  in  four  passages.  Holy 
Spirit,  which  is  better :  see  the  R.  V.  See 
God. 

Honey.  Canaan  is  described  as  a  land 
"flowing  with  milk  and  honey."  Ex.  3: 
108 


8, 17  ;  13  : 5  ;  Ps.  19  :  10 ;  81 :  16.  And  trav- 
ellers now  speak  of  the  immense  swarms 
of  bees  found  in  some  rocky  parts  of  the 
country.  Deut.  32 :  13.  With  this  "  wild 
honey  "  John  Baptist  was  fed.  Matt.  3 :  4. 
There  was  a  kind  of  honey-syrup  obtained 
from  dates.  2  Chron.  31  :  5.  Honey  was 
forbidden  as  an  offering.  Lev.  2  :  11.  It  is 
often  joined  with  milk,  both  being  natural 
products ;  and  "honey  and  milk  "  are  some- 
times figuratively  put  for  pleasant  discourse. 
Song  of  Sol.  4  :  11.  Honey  was  sometimes 
made  from  the  juice  of  grapes  boiled  down 
to  the  half  or  third  part.  This,  called  dibs, 
is  still  prepared  in  many  parts  of  Syria  and 
Palestine,  especially  in  the  neighborhood 
of  Hebron,  and  is  in  great  quantities  ex- 
ported into  Egypt. 

Hor  {hor),  mountain,  Mount.  1.  The 
mountain  on  which  Aaron  died.  Num.  20  : 
25-27;  33:37.  Itwas  on  the  "boundary  line." 
or  "  at  the  edge  "  of  the  land  of  Edom.  It 
was  the  halting-place  of  the  people  next 
after  Kadesh,  Num.  20  :  22 ;  33 :  37,  and  they 
quitted  it  for  Zalmonah,  Num.  33  :41,  in  the 
road  to  the  Red  sea.  Num.  21 : 4.  It  was 
during  the  encampment  at  Kadesh  that 
Aaron  died.  Moimt  Hor  is  on  the  western 
side  of  the  great  valley  of  the  Arabah,  the 
highest  and  most  conspicuous  of  the  whole 
range  of  the  sandstone  mountains  Of  Edom, 
having  close  beneath  it  on  its  eastern  side 
the  strange  city  of  Petra.  It  is  now  called 
Jebel  Nebi-Hai-fin,  "the  mountain  of  the 
prophet  Aaron."  Its  height  is  4800  feet 
above  the  Mediterranean ;  or  about  1700 
feet  above  the  town  of  Petra,  and  more  than 
6000  above  the  Dead  sea.  Tlie  mountain  is 
marked  far  and  near  by  its  double  top, 
which  rises  like  a  huge  castellated  build- 
ing from  a  lower  base  and  is  now  sur- 
mounted by  a  circular  dome  of  the  tomb  of 
Aaron,  a  distinct  white  spot  on  the  dark 
red  surface  of  the  mountain.  The  chief 
interest  of  Mount  Hor  consists  in  the  pros- 
pect from  its  summit,  the  last  view  of 
Aaron— that  view  which  was  to  him  v»'hat 
Pisgah  was  to  Moses.  2.  A  mountain, 
distinct  from  the  preceding,  named  in 
Num.  34  : 7,  8,  only,  as  one  of  the  marks 
of  the  northern  boundary  of  the  land 
which  the  children  of  Israel  were  to  con- 
quer. This  Mount  Hor  is  the  great  chain 
of  Lebanon  itself. 

Horeb  (ho'reb),  dry,  desert.  A  mountain 
or  range  frequently  mentioned  in  Scripture. 
The  special  application  of  Horeb  and  Sinai 
in  the  Old  Testament  has  been  much  dis- 
cussed. Robinson  and  Hengstenberg  think 
that  Horeb  is  the  name  for  tne  whole  range 
— Sinai  for  a  particular  peak  ;  Gesenius  and 
others  hold  precisely  the  opposite  view. 
Stanley  suggests  that  there  is  more  a  dis- 
tinction of  usage  than  of  place.  1.  In  Le- 
viticus and  Numbers  Sinai  is  exclusively 
used  of  the  scene  of  the  giving  of  the  Law. 
2.  In  Deuteronomy  Horeb  is  substituted 
for  Sinai.  3.  In  the  Psalms  the  two  are  used 
indifferently.  See  Sinai  and  Palestine,  p. 
31.  The  mountain  of  Sinai  and  its  wilder- 
ness are  distinguished  as  the  theatre  of 
events  that  took  place  in  the  district  of 
Horeb,  and  the  whole  of  Horeb  is  called 


flORN 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


HOUR 


•'the  mountain  of  God."  Ex.  3:1,  12 ;  4 : 
27 ;  17  : 6  ;  18  : 5 ;  33  : 6.  Hence,  sometimes 
"Sinai"  alone  is  spoken  of.  Ex.  19  :  11,  20, 
23 ;  24  :  16 ;  31 :  18  ;  34 :  29,  32 ;  Lev.  7  :  38  ; 
25 : 1 ;  26  :  46 ;  27  :  34 ;  Num.  1:1;  3  : 1,  14 ; 
33:15.  But  frequently  "Horeb"  alone  is 
named,  and  the  same  events  are  spoken  of 
as  occurring  on  Horeb  ^vhich  are  described 
as  taking  place  on  Sinai.  Deut.  1 :  2,  6, 19 ; 
4 :  10,  15 ;  5 :  2 ;  9 :8  ;  18 :  16  ;  '29 :  1.  Later 
sacred  writers  employ  both  names :  e.  g., 
"  Horeb,"  1  Kings  8:9;  19  : 8  ;  2  Chron.  5 : 
10;  Ps.  106:19;  Mai.  4:4;  "Sinai,"  Judg. 
5:5;  Ps.  68  :  8,  17. 

Horn.  The  word  "  horn  "  is  often  used 
to  signify  power  and  honor.  Of  strength, 
the  horn  of  the  unicorn,  R.  V.  "wild  ox," 
was  the  most  frequent  representative.  Deut. 
33 :  17,  etc.,  but  not  always  ;  comp.  1  Kings 
22 :  11,  where  probably  horns  of  iron,  worn 
defiantly  and  symbolically  on  the  head, 
are  intended.  Among  the  Druses  upon 
Mount  Lebanon  the  married  women  wear 
silver  horns  on  their  heads.  In  the  sense 
of  honor,  as  "  my  horn,"  Job  16  :  15  ;  "  all 
the  horn  of  Israel,"  Lam.  2  :3— and  hence 
for  the  supreme  authority.  It  also  stands 
for  honor  or  power,  whence  it  comes  to 
mean  king,  kingdom.  Dan.  8  :  3,  etc. ; 
Zech.  1 :  18.  It  was  also  a  symbol  of  vic- 
tory.   1  Kings  22  :  11 ;  Rev.  5  : 6. 

Hornet.  The  hornet  resembles  the  com- 
mon wasp,  only  it  is  larger.  It  is  exceed- 
ingly fierce  and  voracious,  especially  in  hot 
climates,  and  its  sting  is  frequently  danger- 
ous. In  Scripture  the  hornet  is  referred  to 
only  as  the  means  which  Jehovah  em- 
ployed for  the  extirpation  of  the  Canaan- 
ites.    Ex.  23  :  28  ;  Deut.  7  :  20 ;  Josh.  24  :  12. 

Horse.  This  most  valuable  animal  was 
first  domesticated  in  the  East,  and  was 
probably  brought  by  those  who  emigrated 
westward  from  Asia  into  Arabia  and  Egypt. 
No  mention  is  made  of  horses  as  forming 
any  part  of  the  possessions  of  the  patri- 
archs ;  nor  are  any  noticed  among  the 
presents  Abraham  received  from  the  kings 
of  Egypt  and  Gerar.  Gen.  12  :  16  ;  20  :  14. 
The  horse  was  probably  not  in  those  early 
times  used  except  for  military  purposes ; 
indeed  we  find  scarcely  an  allusion  in 
Scripture  to  its  employment  for  the  farm 
or  any  ordinary  domestic  service.  Once 
the  horse  is  said  to  tread  out  some  species 
of  corn,  Isa.  28  :  28 ;  but  it  is  a  war-horse, 
strong  and  tierce,  that  is  poetically  de- 
scribed in  Job  39  :  19-25. 

H o  r  s  e  - 1  e  e  ell ,  </ie  adherer.  A  well- 
known  kind  of  worm  very  common  in  all 
the  stagnant  waters  of  Palestine.  Prov. 
30  :  15.  It  fastens  itself  within  the  nostrils 
or  mouths  of  animals  as  they  drink,  and 
will  suffer  itself  to  be  nearly  torn  in  two 
before  relaxing  its  hold.  Its  thirst  for  blood 
— never  satisfied  till  its  body  is  completely 
filled— may  illustrate  the  insatiable  cravings 
of  lust,  avarice,  and  craelty. 

Hosanna,  save,  we  beseech !  The  excla- 
mation with  which  Christ  was  greeted  at 
his  last  entry  into  Jerusalem.  Matt.  21  :  9. 
It  is  a  Hebrew  phrase,  known  in  earlier 
times  and  taken  from  Ps.  118  :  25,  which  was 
recited  as  a  part  of  the  Great  Hallel,  Ps.  113- 


118,  at  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  and  which 
was  therefore  famiUar  to  the  Jews. 

Hosea  (ho-ze'ah),  salvation.  Son  of  Beeri, 
and  one  of  the  minor  prophets.  His  pro- 
phetic career  extended  from  b.  c.  784  to  725, 
a  pezlod  of  59  years.  The  prophecies  of  Ho- 
sea were  deUvered  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel. 
Jeroboam  II.  was  ruler,  and  Israel  w^as  at 
the  height  of  its  splendor.  Nothing  is  known 
of  the  prophet's  hfe  excepting  what  may 
be  gained  from  his  book. 

Hosea,  Book  of.  Consists  of  14  chap- 
ters. It  is  easy  to  recognize  two  great  divi- 
sions in  the  book  :  1,  chap.  1  to  3 ;  2,  chap. 
4  to  end.  The  prophecies  were  probablv 
collected  by  Hosea  himself  toward  the  end 
of  his  career.  Of  his  style  Eichhom  says  : 
"  His  discourse  is  hke  a  garland  woven  of 
a  multiphcity  of  flowers ;  images  are  woven 
upon  images,  metaphor  strung  upon  meta- 
phor. Like  a  bee,  he  flies  from  one  flower- 
bed to  another,  that  he  may  suck  his  honey 
from  the  most  varied  pieces.  .  .  .  Often  he 
is  prone  to  approach  to  allegory ;  often  he 
sinks  down  in  obscurity."  His  prophecies 
are  frequently  referred  to  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. Matt.  9  :  13 ;  12 :  7  ;  Luke  23  :  30, 
etc. 

Ho  she  a  (ho-she'ah),  salvation.  1.  The 
19th,  last  and  best  king  of  Israel.  He  suc- 
ceeded Pekah,  whom  he  slew  in  a  success- 
ful conspiracy,  thereby  fulfilhng  a  prophecy 
of  Isaiah.  Isa.  7  :  16.  In  the  third  year  of 
his  reign  (b.  c.  726)  Shalmaneser  cruelly 
stormed  the  strong  caves  of  Beth-arbel, 
Hos.  10:14,  and  made  Israel  tributary,  2 
Kings  17  : 3,  for  three  years.  At  the  end  of 
this  period  Hoshea  entered  into  a  secret 
alhance  with  So,  king  of  Egypt,  to  throw 
off  the  Assyrian  yoke.  The  alhance  did 
him  no  good ;  it  vras  revealed  to  the  court 
of  Nineveh  by  the  Assyrian  party  in  Ephra- 
im,  and  Hoshea  w^as  immediately  seized 
as  a  rebelhous  vassal,  shut  up  in  prison, 
and  apparently  treated  with  the  utmost 
indignity.  Micah  5  : 1.  Nothing  is  known 
of  Hoshea  after  this  event.  2.  The  son  of 
Nun,  i.  e.,  Joshua,  Deut.  32  :  44  ;  and  also  in 
Num.  13 : 8,  R.  V.,  though  there  the  A.V.  has 
Oshea.  3.  Son  of  Azaziah,  1  Chron.  27  :  20 ; 
hke  his  great  namesake,  a  man  of  Ephraim, 
ruler  of  his  tribe  in  the  time  of  king  David. 
(B.  c.  1019.)  4.  One  of  the  heads  of  the  peo- 
ple who  sealed  the  covenant  with  Nehe' 
miah.  Neh.  10  :  23.    (b.  c.  410.) 

Hour.  The  twenty -fourth  part  of  the 
day.  Such  a  mode  oif  dividing  time  was 
not  originally  employed  among  the  He- 
brews. And,  when  the  word  "hour"  first 
occurs,  it  is  used  loosely  and  indefinitely, 
Dan.  3  : 6,  15 ;  4  :  33  ;  5  :  5 :  as  it  is  frequently 
in  the  New  Testament,  Mark  13  :  32  ;  John 
2:4;  and  as  very  commonly  among  our- 
selves. At  a  very  early  period  the  Egyptians 
divided  the  day  into  twelve  hours ;  and 
the  same  reckoning  prevailed  among  the 
Babylonians,  from  whom  the  Greeks  took 
it.  It  is  likely  that  tlie  Jews  learned  and 
adopted  it  at  the  period  of  the  capti\aty.  In 
our  Lord's  time,  the  day,  that  is,  the  space 
between  sunrise  and  sunset,  was  commonly 
distributed  into  twelve  hours,  John  11 :9; 
these,  therefore,  varied  in  length  according 
109 


HOUSfc 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


IDUM^ANS 


to  the  season  of  the  year.  Generally,  how- 
ever, we  may  say  that  the  third  hour  cor- 
responded with  our  9  A.  m.,  the  sixth  with 
our  noon,  the  ninth  with  our  3  p.  m.,  etc. 
In  Acts  23 :  23  the  hours  of  the  night  were 
reckoned  from  sunset ;  consequently  the 
time  named  would  nearly  correspond  with 
our  9  p.  M. 

House.    See  Dwelling. 

Hushai  {hu'shdi  or  hu'sha-i),  rapid.  An 
Archite,  and  a  particular  and  faithful  friend 
of  David.  2  Sam.  16  :  16.  He  gained  such 
influence  over  Absalom  as  to  prevail  with 
his  advice  over  Ahithophel,  2  Sam.  17  :  14. 
During  this  time  he  remained  David's 
friend. 

Husks.  This  word  in  Luke  15 :  16  de- 
scribes really  the  fruit  of  the  carob.  It  be- 
longs to  the  locust  family.  This  tree  is 
common  in  Syria  and  Egypt;  it  produces 
pods,  shaped  hke  a  horn,  varying  in  length 
from  six  to  ten  inches,  and  about  a  finger's 
breadth,  or  rather  more ;  it  is  dark  brown, 
glossy,  filled  with  seeds,  and  has  a  sweetish 
taste.  It  is  used  much  for  food  by  the  poor, 
and  for  the  feeding  of  swine. 

Hyssop.  Ex.  12  *.  22.  A  plant  often  used 
in  the  ceremonies  of  purification.  Lev.  14  : 
4,  6,  51 ;  Ps.  51 : 7.  One  of  its  characteristics 
is  referred  to  in  1  Kings  4  :  33.  It  is  associ- 
ated with  our  Saviour's  last  hours.  John  19  : 
29.  More  than  twenty  different  plants  have 
been  urged  as  the  species  intended.  Tris- 
tram and  other  recent  authorities  favor  the 
caper-bush.  Dr.  Post,  of  Syria,  argues  very 
conclusively  in  favor  of  a  species  of  mar- 
joram. 


Iconium  {i-co'-ni-um).  place  of  images  (f). 
A  large  and  rich  city  of  Asia  Minor,  in  the 
province  of  Lycaonia.  It  was  on  the  great 
Roman  highway  from  Ephesus  to  Tarsus, 
Antioch,  and  the  Euphrates,  and  at  the 
foot  of  Mount  Taurus,  in  a  beautiful  and 
fertile  country,  about  300  miles  southeast 
of  Constantinople  and  about  120  miles  in- 
land from  the  Mediterranean.  Paul  visited 
it  on  his  first  and  second  missionarv  jour- 
neys. Acts  13  :  51 ;  14  :  1,  19,  21 ;  16  :  2 ;  2 
Tim.  3:11.  On  the  South  Galilean  view, 
Paul  again  visited  the  city.  Acts  1 8  :  22,  23. 

Idolatry.  The  worship  of  other  objects 
or  beings  than  the  one  true  God.  Prol^aljly 
the  heavenlybodies  were  among  the  earliest 
objects  of  idolatrous  reverence.  Thus  the 
sun  and  moon,  the  Baal  and  Astarte  of 
Phoenician  worship,  were  regarded  as  em- 
bodying these  active  and  passive  principles 
respectively.  And  the  idol  deities  of  other 
nations  bore  similar  characters.  It  is  easy 
to  see  how  such  worehip  would  be  tainted 
by  licentiousness  of  thought,  and  that  the 
rites  of  it  would  be  immoral  and  obscene. 
Unnatural  lusts  would  be  indulged,  till  the 
frightful  picture  drawn  by  the  apostle  Paul 
of  heathenism  was  abundantly  reahzed 
among  even  the  most  refined  nations  of 
antiquity.  Rom.  1 :  18-32.  It  was  in  order 
to  guard  the  Israehtes  against  such  abom- 
inable things  that  many  of  the  enact- 
ments of  the  Mosaic  law  were  directed. 
110 


Deut.  22  :  5.  The  ancient  Hebrews  had  no 
fixed  form  of  idolatry  ;  but  they  frequently 
imitated  the  superstitions  of  other  nations. 
Gen.  31 :  30  ;  Josh.  24  :  23 ;  Judg.  2  :  11,  12  ; 
8  :  27  ;  17  : 5 ;  18 :  30,  31.  Solomon,  seduced 
by  his  strange  wives,  caused  temples  to  be 
erected  in  honor  of  their  gods,  and  himself 
impiously  offered  incense  to  them.  1 
Kings  11 :  5-7.  Under  the  reign  of  Ahab, 
idolatry  reached  its  greatest  height ;  and 
the  impious  Jezebel  endeavored  to  destroy 
the  worship  of  Jehovah.  Even  the  sacrifice 
of  children,  forbidden  as  it  was  under  the 
most  severe  and  summary  penalties,  became 
common.  Lev.  20  :2;  'Jer.  7  :  31 ;  Ezek. 
16  :  21.  The  severe  chastisement  of  the  cap- 
tivity in  a  great  measure  uprooted  Hebrew 
idolatry.  Perhaps  those  who  went  into 
Egypt  were  the  worst  class  of  the  Jews.  Jer. 
44  :  15-30.  Yet  even  there  idolatry  did  not 
last  among  them.  And,  though  after  the 
return  there  was  much  lukewarmness 
shown,  and  alliances  were  made  afresh 
with  ungodly  nations,  and  false  prophets 
appeared,  Ezra  9  : 1,  2  ;  Neh.  6 :  14,  yet  so 
far  as  we  can  judge  by  the  national  cove- 
nant, Neh.  10,  and  the  general  tone  of  the 
post-exilian  prophets,  Haggai,  Zechariah, 
and  Malachi,  idolatry  ceased  to  flourish. 
In  the  New  Testament  the  Christians,  who 
were  continually  brought  into  contact  with 
idolaters  through  the  extent  of  the  Roman 
empire,  vv'ere  cautioned  as  to  their  behavior. 
Not  only  were  they  to  abhor  idol-worship 
itself,  but  they  were  also  to  abstain  from 
meats  which  had  been  offered  to  idols.  Acts 
15  :  29.  It  was  true  that  the  meat  itself  was 
not  thereby  defiled,  for  an  idol  was  noth- 
ing ;  and  therefore  Christians  need  not  be 
too  particular  in  inquiring  into  the  history 
of  what  was  set  before  them  But,  if  any 
one  apprised  them  that  it  had  been  so 
presented,  they  were  not  to  eat,  lest  an 
occasion  of  ofl'ence  should  be  given  to  a 
weak  brother  or  to  a  censorious  heathen.  1 
Cor.  8:4-13;  10:25-32. 

Idumseans,  or  Edomites  {M'u-me'anz, 
or  e'dom-ltes).  The  inhabitants  of  Idumsea 
or  Edom,  descendants  of  Esau,  Gen.  36  : 1, 
8,  and  dwellers  in  the  clefts  of  the  rocks  in 
the  Sinaitic  peninsula.  Jer.  49  :  16.  Petra, 
called  "  Selah  "  or  "  Joktheel,"  their  strong- 
hold in  Amaziah's  day,  2  Kings  14 : 7,  and 
chief  city,  was  literally  cut  in  the  rocks, 
and  the  southern  part  of  the  countrj^ 
abounds  in  cave-dwellings.  They  had 
kings  long  before  the  Hebrews.  Gen.  36  :  31. 
Though  they  were  of  the  same  primitive 
parentage  as' the  Hebrews,  they  were  by  no 
means  friendly  to  them.  They  perpetuated 
the  enmity  between  Esau  and  Jacob.  They 
opposed  their  passage  through  their  country 
when  Israel  came  from  the  wilderness. 
Num.  20  :  20,  21.  But  finally  they  allowed 
a  passage  through  their  eastern  border,  ac- 
cepting also  Israel's  offer  to  pay  for  provis- 
ions, beut.  2  :  28,  29.  The  Edomites  were 
conquered  by  Saul  in  the  early  part  of  his 
reign,  1  Sam.  14  :  47,  and  by  David  Ukewise, 
2  Sam.  8  :  14 ;  but  at  the  instigation  of 
Hadad  they  revolted  against  Solomon.  1 
Kings  11 :  14.  Edom  was  for  a  long  time  a 
vassal  of  the  kingdom  of  Judah,  but  again 


ILLYRICUM 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


IRON 


revolted,  and.  after  a  struggle  got  its  inde- 
pendence in  the  reign  of  Jelioram.  2  Kings 
8 :  20-22.  The  later  kings  attacked  and 
were  attacked  by  the  Edoinites.  The  proph- 
ets foretold  the  desolation  of  the  descend- 
ants of  Esau  and  their  country.  Jer.  49  :  17, 
18 ;  Obadiali  8.  Thirty  ruined  towns  within 
three  days'  journey  from  the  Red  sea  attest 
their  former  greatness  and  their  present 
desolation. 

Illyricum  {il-Ur'i-kam).  A  Roman  prov- 
ince of  southeastern  Europe,  lying  along 
the  eastern  coast  of  the  Adriatic,  from  the 
boundary  of  Italy  on  the  north  to  Epirus 
on  the  south,  and  contiguous  to  Moesia  and 
Macedonia  on  the  east.  On  account  of  the 
insurrection  of  the  Dalmatians,  b.  c.  11,  the 
province  was  divided,  and  the  northern 
portion  called  Dalmatia :  the  southern  por- 
tion remained  one  of  the  Senate's  prov- 
inces. Paul  preached  round  about  unto 
Illyricum.  Rom.  15  :  19. 

Inimaimel  {im-mdn'u-el),  God  with  %is. 
The  name  given  to  the  child  whose  birth 
the  prophet  Isaiah  was  authorized  to  an- 
nounce to  Ahaz  when  the  confederacy  was 
foiTQed  by  Israel  and  Syria  against  Judah. 
Isa.  7  : 1-16.  This  passage  has  been  cited 
by  Matthew,  and  specially  appUed  to  the 
birth  of  Christ,  Matt.  1 :  22,  23,  who  is  rightly 
regarded  as  "God  with  us"  and  as  ever 
present  in  his  church  and  with  his  people 
through  the  ages  of  the  world.  Matt.  28 : 
20. 

Incense.  The  sacred  perfume  offered 
to  God  by  burning  on  the  incense  altar. 
The  gums  which  composed  it  are  men- 
tioned in  Ex.  30  :  34-38,  including  salt,  for  v. 
35  reads,  "  seasoned  with  salt "  in  the  R.  V. 
Incense  was  to  be  burnt  on  the  altar  made 
for  the  purpose  twice  a  day,  in  the  morn- 
ing when  the  lamps  were  dressed,  and  also 
when  they  were  lighted  in  tlie  evening. 
It  might  seem  as  if  this  work  were  re- 
stricted to  the  high  priest,  Ex.  30  : 7,  8 ;  but 
certainly  the  ordinary  priests  are  found 
burning  incense,  Lev!  10  : 1 ;  and,  in  later 
times  at  least,  those  who  so  officiated  were 
chosen  by  lot,  Luke  1  : 8,  9 ;  the  people 
being  of  course  without,  v.  10,  and  prob- 
ably praying  in  silence  :  comp.  Rev.  8:1,3. 
There  was  another  solemn  burning  of  in- 
cense—and this  was  the  high  priest's  pecu- 
har  office— on  the  great  day  of  atonement. 
Lev.  16 :  13.  Jewish  writers  have  said  that 
the  incense  was  to  counteract  the  unpleas- 
ant smell  which  might  arise  from  the  car- 
cases of  victims.  But  it  had  a  higher  pur- 
pose. The  psalmist,  Ps.  141  :  2,  indicates 
this/  his  words  implying  that  prayer  was 
in  reality  what  incense  was  in  svmbol. 

Ink,  Inkhorn.  Jer.  36  :  18  ;  *Ezek.  9  :  2. 
It  is  supposed  that  the  common  ink  of 
early  ages  was  made  of  water  and  pulver- 
ized charcoal,  or  the  black  of  burnt  ivory, 
with  the  addition  of  some  kind  of  gum. 
Other  substances  were  doubtless  used  both 
for  writing  and  coloring  matter.  The  Ro- 
mans used  a  dark  purple  hquid,  which  was 
obtained  from  a  species  of  fish,  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  ink  in  common  use  at  this  day 
has  been  known  for  several  centuries  in 
Europe,  and  is  usually  made  of  nutgalls, 


vitriol,  and  gum.  Ancient  ink  was  more 
caustic,  and  less  hable  to  fade  or  decay. 
Chinese  ink  is  of  the  same  quahty.  The 
professed  writers  or  scribes  carried  with 
them,  as  they  do  at  the  present  day  in 
eastern  countries,  writing  instruments,  and 
among  them  was  an  inkhorn,  thrust  into 
the  girdle  at  the  side. 

Inn.  In  the  Bible  the  "  inn  "  was  not  a 
hotel  in  our  sense.  The  word  so  translated 
means  either  a  "  lodging  -  place  for  the 
night  "—not  necessarily  a  covered  place,  but 
a  mere  station  of  caravans,  where  water 
could  be  obtained;  such  was  the  "inn," 
R.  V.  "  lodging -place,"  at  which  Joseph's 
brethren  stopped,  and  where  Moses  was 
met  by  the  Lord,  Gen.  42  :  27  ;  Ex.  4  :  24— or 
else  a  khan  or  caravanserai,  which  was, 
and  is,  a  large  square  building  enclosing 
an  open  court,  in  whose  centre  is  a  foun- 
tain ;  the  building  contains  a  number  of 
rooms.  There  is  no  provision  for  meals  or 
feed  for  tlie  animals ;  the  travellers  carry 
such  necessaries  with  them.  These  cara- 
vanserais are  often  built  by  benevolent  per- 
sons. Jer.  9  : 2.  Another  'kind  of  "inn  "  is 
that  mentioned  in  the  parable  of  the  Good 
Samaritan.  Luke  10  :  34.  This  had  a  host, 
who  was  probably  paid  to  attend  to  the 
wants  of  travellers.  And  it  was  in  one  of 
the  stables  of  a  mere  caravanserai  provided 
for  the  horses  of  travellers  that  our  Lord 
was  born.  In  modern  Syria,  in  villages 
where  there  is  no  khan,  there  is  a  house 
for  the  entertainment  of  travellers,  with  a 
man  apix)inted  to  look  after  it :  for  its  ac- 
commodations, meagre  as  they  are,  pay- 
ment is  exacted,  and  the  keeper  Ukewise 
gets  a  fee. 

Inspiration.  The  influence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  on  the  mind,  such  as  to  guard 
against  error  in  communicating  God's  will. 
The  prophets  and  apostles  spake  "  as  they 
were  moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost."  2  Pet.  1 : 
21.  The  divine  Spirit  acted  u])on  each  au- 
thor according  to  his  individuality,  and 
used  him,  not  as  a  machine,  but  as  a  free 
and  responsible  agent.  Hence  the  differ- 
ences of  style  and  mode  of  treatment.  The 
Bible  is  botli  human  and  divine,  like  the 
person  of  Christ,  whom  it  reflects.  There 
are  various  theories  of  inspiration,  as  to 
its  modes  and  degrees ;  but  all  Christians 
agree  that  in  the  Bible,  and  in  the  Bible 
alone,  we  have  a  full  and  perfectly  trust- 
worthy revelation  of  God,  and  that  it  is 
the  infallible  rule  of  our  faith  and  prac- 
tice. 

Iron  is  mentioned  with  brass  as  the 
earhest  of  known  metals.  Gen.  4  :  22.  The 
natural  wealth  in  iron  of  the  soil  of  Ca- 
naan is  indicated  by  describing  it  as  "a 
land  whose  stones  are  iron."  Dent.  8:9. 
The  book  of  Job  contains  passages  which 
indicate  that  iron  was  a  metal  well  known. 
Sheet-iron  v/as  used  for  cooking  utensils. 
Ezek.  4:3;  cf.  Lev.  7  : 9.  That  it  was  plen- 
tiful in  the  time  of  Da-\ad  appears  from  1 
Chron.  22 :  3.  The  market  of  Tyre  was  sup- 
pUed  with  bright  or  polished  iron  by  the 
merchants  of  Dan  and  Javan.  Ezek.  27 : 
19.  Iron  ore  is  now  abundant  in  northern 
Palestine. 

Ul 


ISAAC 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ISH-BOSHETH 


Isaac  {I'zak),  laicghtcr,  sporting.  The 
heir  of  promise,  son  of  Abraham  by  his 
wife  Sarah,  born  when  his  father  was  100 
years  old.  His  name,  given  before  his  birth, 
Gen.  17  :  19,  was  signiticant.  Abraham  had 
smiled  incredulously  when  tlie  promise 
was  renewed  to  him' and  Sarah  designated 
as  tlie  mother  of  the  promised  seed,  and 
Sarah  laughed  derisively  afterwards  when 
she  heard  the  reiterated  word.  Gen.  17  : 
17  :  18 :  12.  The  son  by  his  name,  there- 
fore, was  to  warn  the  parents  against  unbe- 
hef,  and  expressed  tlie  joy  with  which  they 
received  at  last  tlie  fulfilment  of  the  prom- 
ise. Gen.  21 :  6.  Isaac's  life  was  far  less 
stirring  than  that  of  his  father  Abraham, 
or  that  of  his  son  Jacob.  He  was  a  man 
of  mild  contemplative  character,  suffering 
more  than  acting,  easily  persuaded,  yet 
upon  occasion  firm.  Isaac  stands  forth 
the  model  of  that  loving  submission  which 
those  who  become  sons  and  heirs  of  God 
ought  to  pay  to  their  heavenly  parent,  as 
inheritors  of  his  father  Abraham's  faith. 
We  best  love  to  contemplate  Isaac  as  bear- 
ing the  wood  with  his  father  up  the  slopes 
of  Moriah.  Gentle,  pious,  concihating  as 
he  was  through  the  rest  of  his  days,  he 
never  rose  higher  in  after  Ufe ;  he  hardly 
fulfilled  this  promise  of  his  youth.  Yet 
Isaac  was  a  man  of  faith  and  prayer ;  and 
God  was  not  ashamed  to  be  called  his  God. 
Heb.  11 :  16.  His  history  conveys  many  in- 
structive lessons. 

Lsaiali  {i-za'yah  or  l-zd'yah),  salvation  of 
Jehovah.  One  of  the  great  Hebrew  proph- 
ets. Of  his  personal  history  very  httle  is 
known.  He  was  the  son  of  Amoz,  Isa.  1  : 
1,  whom  rabbinical  tradition  represents  as 
the  brother  of  king  Amaziah.  He  was 
married,  his  wife  being  called  "  the  proph- 
etess," Isa.  8  :  3,  not  because  she  exercised 
the  prophetic  gift  herself,  but  simply  be- 
cause she  was  married  to  a  prophet.  He 
had  at  least  two  sons,  with  symboUcal 
names,  Shear-jashub  and  Malier-shalal- 
hash-baz.  Isa.  7:3;  8 :  1-3.  It  is  presumed 
that  he  ordinarily  wore  a  hair-cloth  gar- 
ment, Isa.  20  :  2  ;  but  there  is  no  reason  for 
beheving  that  he  was  an  ascetic.  He  prob- 
ably resided  at  Jerusalem,  where  he  exer- 
cised his  prophetic  ministry  during  a  long 
course  of  years.  Isaiah  prophesied  under 
Uzziah,  receiving  the  divine  call  in  the  last 
year  of  that  monarch's  reign,  Isa.  6 ;  and 
under  the  succeeding  kings,  Jotham,  Ahaz, 
and  Hezekiah.  Isa.  1:1.  Whether  he  lived 
on  into  ilanasseh's  reign  is  uncertain. 
Jewish  tradition  asserts  that  he  did,  and 
that  he  was  martyred  by  being  sawn  asun- 
der ;  and  this  has  been'  supposed  to  be  al- 
luded to  in  Heb.  11 :  37.  Isaiah  is  the  evan- 
gelist among  the  Old  Testament  prophets. 
He  is  more  frequently  quoted  in  the  New 
Testament  than  any  other.  In  him  the 
Messianic  prophecies  reach  their  highest 
perfection.  He  draws  the  picture  of  the 
suffering  and  triumpliing  Saviour  of  Israel 
and  the  world,  until  at  last  he  stands  be- 
fore us  in  unmistakable  clearness  and  ful- 
ness. Isaiah  is  also  one  of  the  greatest  of 
poets.  "  Everj'thing  conspired  to  raise  him 
to  an  elevation  to  which  no  prophet,  either 
112 


before  or  after,  could  as  writer  attain. 
Among  the  other  prophets  each  of  the  more 
important  ones  is  distinguished  by  some 
one  particular  excellence  and  some  one 
pecuhar  talent ;  in  Isaiah  all  kinds  of  tal- 
ent and  all  beauties  of  prophetic  discourse 
meet  together,  so  as  mutually  to  temper 
and  qualify  each  other ;  it  is  not  so  much 
any  single  feature  that  distinguishes  him 
as  the  symmetry  and  perfection  as  a  whole. 
.  .  .  In  the  sentiment  he  expresses,  in  the 
topics  of  his  discourses  and  in  the  manner, 
Isaiah  uniformly  reveals  himself  as  the 
king  prophet."— £waZcZ. 

Isaiali,  Book  of.  Isaiah  is  divided  into 
two  parts.  The  first,  comprising  the  first 
39  chapters,  is  composed  of  a  variety  of  in- 
dividual prophecies  against  nations  and 
denunciations  of  sin.  Social  vices,  chap.  3, 
and  idolatry,  chap.  8,  are  rebuked  without 
mercv.  Assvria,  Babylon,  13  :  19  sq.,  Moab, 
15 ;  Ethiopia,  18 ;  Egypt,  19 :  and  Tyre,  23, 
pass  successively  before  the  prophet's  mind, 
and  their  doom  is  predicted.  The  prophe- 
cies of  Babylon's  desolation  and  of  Tyre's 
ruin  are  among  the  most  poetic  and  the 
subUmest  passages  in  all  hterature.  Chaps. 
36-39  are  concerned  with  Sennacherib's  in- 
vasion and  episodes  in  the  life  of  Hezekiah. 
The  second  part  of  Isaiah  begins  abruptly 
with  the  fortieth  chapter:  "Comfort  ye, 
comfort  ye  my  people."  It  takes  its  position 
at  the  close  of  the  Babylonian  captivity,' 
and  prophesies  its  close  and  the  glories  of 
the  Messianic  period  of  Israel's  history.  Of 
all  the  prophetic  writings,  none  are  more 
evidently  inspired  and  truly  evangelical 
than  these  last  27  chapters.  Isaiah  prophe- 
sies of  the  Messiah  with  distinctness  and 
in  a  way  that  his  predecessors  had  not 
done.  We  find  prophecies  of  his  birth,  7  : 
14  ;  9  :  6,  of  his  Davidic  descent,  11  :  1,  2, 
etc.  But  the  fullest  as  well  as  the  most 
distinct  of  the  predictions  is  contained  in 
the  fifty-third  chapter.  It  may  be  called 
the  gospel  of  the  Old  Testament,  on  ac- 
count of  the  graphic  and  faithful  picture 
it  gives  of  the  Messiah,  as  the  "Man  of 
sorrows,"  suffering  in  the  stead  of  mankind. 
This  chapter  of  itself  will  stand  always  as 
an  evidence  of  prime  importance  for  the 
divine  mission  of  Christ.  "  The  authen- 
ticity of  the  second  part  of  Isaiah,  from 
chaps.  40-66,"  says  Schaft",  "has  been  as- 
sailed by  modern  critics,  who  regard  it  as 
a  later  production  of  some  '  great  unknown 
prophet '  at  the  end  of  the  Babylonian  ex- 
ile. But  it  is  characteristic  of  prophetic 
vision  to  look  into  the  far  future  as  if  it 
were  present ;  and  it  makes  not  much  dif- 
ference for  the  divine  character  of  the 
prophecy  whether  it  was  uttered  500  or  700 
years  before  its  fulfilment.  The  descrip- 
tion of  the  servant  of  God  who  suffers  and 
dies  for  the  sins  of  the  people  in  chap.  53 
applies  to  no  other  person  in  historj^,  with 
any  degree  of  propriety,  but  to  Jesus  Christ." 

Ish-boslieth  (lsh'bd'.sheth  or  ish'bo-sheth), 
man  of  shame.  Son  and  successor  of  Saul, 
who  was  persuaded  by  Abner  to  go  up  to 
Mahauaim  and  assume  the  government 
while  David  reigned  at  Hebron,  2  Sam.  2  : 
8,  11 ;  and  all  Israel  except  Judah  acknowl- 


ISHl 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ISRAEL 


edged  him  as  king.  A  severe  battle  soon 
after  occurred  at  Gibeon,  between  the  army 
of  David,  under  Joab,  and  the  army  of  Ish- 
bosheth,  under  Abner,  in  which  the  latter 
was  utterly  defeatedv  Abner  was  killed 
afterward  by  Joab.  Ish-bosheth,  thus  de- 
prived of  his  strongest  supporter,  was  assas- 
sinated at  noonday  upon  his  bed,  after  a 
brief  reign  of  two  years.    2  Sam,  4  :  5-7. 

Islii  {ish'l  or  Vshl),  Hos.  2  _:  16,  signify- 
ing my  husband,  and  Baali  (ba'al-l),  in  the 
same  passage,  signifying  my  Lord,  are  fig- 
uratively used  to  denote  that  Israel  once 
played  the  whore  in  serving  idols,  but 
would  now  serve  the  hving  God.  The 
latter  having  been  used  in  idol-worship, 
would  become  obsolete  in  this  sense.  Hos. 
2:17. 

Ishinael  (ish'ma-el),  whom  God  heareth. 
1.  The  son  of  Abraham  by  Hagar,  and  the 
ancestor  of  Arabian  tribes,  generally  called 
"  Ishmaehtes."  Gen.  25  :  12-18 ;  1  Chron.  2  : 
17  ;  18  :  3.  Previous  to  his  birth  Hagar  was 
informed  by  an  angel  what  would  be  the 
character  of  her  son,  and  that  his  posterity 
would  be  innumerable.  Gen.  16  :  11.  When 
Hagar  was  banished  to  the  wilderness,  God 
directed  her  to  a  fountain,  and  renewed 
his  promise  to  make  him  a  great  nation. 
Ishmael  married  an  Egyptian  woman,  and 
dwelt  in  the  wilderness,  Gen.  16 :  12 ;  he 
was  distinguished  for  lawless  predatory 
habits,  as  his  descendants  have  always 
been.  Gen.  21 :  20,  21.  So  rapidly  did  Ish- 
maei's  family  multiply,  that  in  a  few  years 
afterwards  they  are  spoken  of  as  a  trading 
nation.  Gen.  37  :  25 ;  39 :  1.  Isaac  and  Ish- 
mael amicably  met  at  the  burial  of  their 
father.  Gen.  25  : 9.  Ishmael  died,  perhaps 
in  battle,  at  the  age  of  137  years.  He  was 
the  father  of  twelve  sons,  who  gave  their 
names  to  as  many  tribes,  who  dwelt  in  the 
wilderness,  from  Havilah  unto  Shur.  Gen. 
17:20.  The  prophecies  concerning  him, 
Gen.  16  :  12 ;  17  :  20 :  21 :  13,  IS,  confirm  the 
Bible ;  being  literally  carried  out  for  nearly 
4000  years  to  the  present  day.  Ishmael  no 
doubt  became  a  wild  man*  of  the  desert, 
the  progenitor  of  the  roaming  Bedouin  tribes 
of  the  East,  so  well  known  as  robbers  to 
this  day  that  travellers  through  their  terri- 
tory must  be  well  armed  and  hire  a  band 
of  robbers  to  protect  tliem  against  their 
fellow-robbei-s.  Ishmael  is  also  the  spiritual 
father  of  the  Mohammedans,  who  are  noth- 
ing but  bastard  Jews.  They  apply  to  them- 
selves the  promise  of  a  large  posterity  given 
to  Ishmael.  Gen.  21 :  13,  18.  2.  A  prince 
of  the  royal  family  of  Judah,  who  mur- 
dered the  governor  Gedaliah,  with  sev- 
eral of  the  Hebrews  and  Chaldeans  who 
were  attached  to  him.  He  fled  to  the  Am- 
monites. Jer.  40  : 7-16 ;  41 : 1-18.  There  are 
six  persons  of  this  name  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures. 

Israel  {Iz'ra-el),  the  prince  that  -prevails  with 
God.  1.  The  name  given  to  Jacob  after  his 
wrestling  with  the  angel  at  Peniel.  Gen. 
32  :  28 ;  Hos.  12  : 4.  It  became  the  national 
name  of  the  twelve  tribes  collectively. 
They  are  so  called  in  Ex.  3  :  16  and  after- 
ward. It  is  used  in  a  narrower  sense,  ex- 
cluding Judah,  in  1  Sam.  11 : 8 ;  2  Sam.  20 : 


1 ;  1  Kings  12  :  16.  Thenceforth  it  was  as- 
sumed and  accepted  as  the  name  of  the 
northern  kingdom.  After  the  Babylonian 
captivity,  the  returned  exiles  resumed  the 
name  Ismel  as  the  designation  of  their  na- 
tion. The  name  Israel  is  also  used  to  de- 
note laymen,  as  distinguished  from  priests, 
Levites,  and  other  ministers.  Ezra  6  :  16  ; 
9:1;  10  :  25 ;  Neh.  11 : 3,  etc.    See  Jews. 

Israel,  Kingdom,  of.  A  term  not  infre- 
quently applied  to  the  united  kingdom  be- 
fore the  revolt  of  the  ten  tribes,  1  Sam.  13  : 
1,  4  ;  15  :  28 ;  16 : 1 ;  2  Sam.  5 :  12 ;  7  :  16  ;  1 
Kings  2 :  46 ;  4:1;  but  the  term  was  also 
used  to  designate  the  country  of  the  ten 
tribes  only  during  the  dissensions  which 
followed  the  death  of  Saul  After  the  death 
of  Solomon  and  the  revolt  under  Reho- 
boam,  1  Kings  12  :  20,  28,  32,  it  was  gener- 
ally, but  not  uniformly,  appUed  to  the  inde- 
pendent kingdom  formed  by  the  ten  tribes 
in  the  north  of  Palestine,  so  that  thenceforth 
the  kings  of  the  ten  tribes  were  called 
"  kings  of  Israel,"  and  the  descendants  of 
David,  who  ruled  over  Judah  and  Benja- 
min, were  called  "  kings  of  Judah."  In  the 
prophets  "  Judah  "  and  "  Israel "  are  often 
mentioned.  Hos.  4  :  15 ;  5:3,  5 ;  6 :  10  ;  7 : 
1 ;  8  : 2,  3,  6,  8  ;  9  : 1, 7  ;  Amos  1 : 1 ;  2  : 6 ;  3  : 
14 ;  Micah  1:5:  Isa.  5  :  7.  The  two  kingdoms 
are  sometimes  called  "the  two  houses  of 
Israel."  Isa.  8:14.  The  area  of  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  is  estimated  at  about  9000 
square  miles,  or  about  the  same  as  that  of 
the  State  of  New  Hampshire.  The  king- 
dom lasted  25-1  years,  b.  c.  975-721.  The 
capitals  were  Shechem,  1  Kings  12 :  25,  Tir- 
zah,  1  Kings  14  :  17,  and  Samaria,  1  Kings 
16  :  24.  Jezreel  was  also  a  summer  residence 
of  some  of  its  kings.  Of  the  nineteen  kings, 
not  counting  Tibni,  not  one  was  a  godly 
man.  The  idolatry  introduced  by  Jero- 
boam was  continued,  notwithstanding  the 
partial  reformations  of  Elijah,  Elisha,  and 
other  faithful  prophets.  The  nortlierii 
tribes  drew  together,  but  the  two  southern 
tribes  were  not  heartily  with  the  northern 
even  under  David  and"  Solomon. 

\.  B.  C.  y? 5-929. — J erohoam  easily  led  the 
ten  tribes  in  their  revolt,  and  set  up  the 
northern  kingdom,  the  cap-italat  Shechem. 
A  king,  but  not  a  founder  of  a  dynasty, 
he  aimed  at  nothing  beyond  securing  his 
present  elevation.  The  army  soon  learned 
its  power  to  dictate  to  the  isolated  monarch 
and  disunited  people.  Baasha,  in  the  midst 
of  the  army  at  Gibbethon,  slew  tiie  son  and 
successor  of  Jeroboam  ;  Zimri,  a  captain  of 
chariots,  slew  the  son  and  successor  of 
Baasha;  Omri,  the  captain  of  the  host, 
was  chosen  to  punish  Zimri ;  and  after  a 
civil  war  of  four  years  he  prevailed  over 
Tibni,  the  choice  of  half  the  people. 

"2.  B.  C.  9;?9-SS-i.— For  forty-five  years  Is- 
rael was  governed  by  the  house  of  Omri. 
That  sagacious  king  pitched  on  the  strong 
hill  of  Samaria  as  the  site  of  his  capital. 
Ahab,  bis  son,  was  notorious  in  wicked- 
ness, led  by  Jezebel,  his  heathen  Avife  of 
Tvre,  and  maddened  by  his  selfish  am- 
bition. The  adoption  of  Baal-worship 
led  to  a  reaction  in  the  nation,  and  to  the 
moral  triumph  of  the  prophets  in  the  per- 
ils 


ISSACHAR 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JABESH 


son  of  Elijah,  and  to  the  extinction  of  the 
house  of  Ahab,  in  obedience  to  the  bidding 
of  Elisha. 

"  3.  ^.  C.  SS^-77^.— Unparalleled  triumphs, 
but  deeper  humiliation,  awaited  the  king- 
dom of  Israel  under  the  dynasty  of  Jehu. 
Hazael,  the  ablest  king  of  Damascus,  re- 
duced Jehoahaz  to  the  condition  of  a  vas- 
sal, and  triumphed  for  a  time  over  both  tlie 
disunited  Hebrew  kingdoms.  Almost  the 
first  sign  of  the  restoration  of  their  strength 
f  was  a  war  between  them,  and  Jehoahaz,  the 
grandson  of  Jehu,  entered  Jerusalem  as 
the  conqueror  of  Amaziah.  Jehoash  also 
turned  the  tide  of  war  against  the  Syrians, 
and  Jeroboam  II.,  the  most  powerful  of  all 
the  kings  of  Israel,  captured  Damascus  and 
recovered  the  whole  ancient  frontier  from 
Hamath  to  the  Dead  sea.  This  short-lived 
greatness  expired  with  the  last  king  of 
Jehu's  line. 

"4.  B.  a  77S-7f I. —Mihtary  violence,  it 
would  seem,  broke  off  the  hereditary  suc- 
cession after  the  obscure  and  probably  con- 
vulsed reign  of  Zachariah.  An  unsuccess- 
ful usurper,  Shallum,  is  followed  by  the 
cruel  Menahem,  who,  being  unable  to  make 
head  against  the  first  attack  of  Assyria, 
under  Pul,  became  the  agent  of  that  mon- 
arch for  the  oppressive  taxation  of  his  sub- 
jects. Yet  his  i)Ower  at  home  was  sufficient 
to  insure  for  his  son  and  successor,  Peka- 
hiah,  a  ten  years'  reign,  cut  short  by  a  bold 
usurper,  Pekah.  Abandoning  the  northern 
and  trans-Jordanic  regions  to  the  encroach- 
ing power  of  Assyria  under  Tiglath-pileser, 
he  was  very  near  subjugating  Judah,  with 
the  help  of  Damascus,  now  the  coequal 
ally  of  Israel.  But  Assyria,  interposing, 
summarily  put  an  end  to  the  independence 
of  Damascus,  and  perhaps  was  the  indirect 
cause  of  the  assassination  of  the  baffled 
Pekah.  The  irresolute  Hoshea,  the  next 
and  last  usurper,  became  tributary  to  his 
invader,  Shalmaneser,  betrayed  tlie  Assy- 
rian to  the  rival  monarchyof  Egypt,  aiid 
was  punished  by  the  loss  of  his  liberty  and 
by  the  capture,  after  a  three-years'  siege, 
of  his  strong  capital  Samaria.  Some  glean- 
ings of  the  ten  tribes  yet  remained  in  the 
land  after  so  many  years  of  religious  de- 
cline, moral  debasement,  national  degra- 
dation, anarchy,  bloodshed,  and  deporta- 
tion. Even  these  were  gathered  up  by  the 
conqueror  and  carried  to  Assyria,  never 
again,  as  a  distinct  people,  to  occupy  their 
portion  of  that  goodly  and  pleasant  laud 
which  their  forefathers  won  under  Joshua 
from  the  heathen." 

After  the  destruction  of  the  kingdom  of 
Israel,  b.  c.  721,  the  name  -'Israel"  began 
again  to  be  applied  to  the  whole  surviving 
people.  "  Israel "  is  sometimes  put  for  the 
time  Israelites,  the  faithful  worthy  of  the 
name.  Ps.  73  : 1 ;  Isa.  45  :  17  ;  49  :  3  ;  John 
1 :  47 ;  Rom.  9  : 6 ;  11 :  26.  See  Judah  and 
Jews. 

Issacliar  (ts'sa-kar),  God  hath  given  me 
my  hire.  The  fifth  son  of  Jacob  aiid  Leah. 
Gen.  30  :  18.  The  prophetical  description 
of  him  uttered  by  his  father.  Gen.  49  :  14, 
15,  was  fulfilled  in  the  fact  that  the  poster- 
ity of  Issachar  were  a  laborious  people  and 
U4 


followed  rural  employments,  and  were  sub- 
ject to  the  tributes  of  "marauding  tribes. 

Issachai'  {Is'sa-kar),  The  Territory  of, 
included  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon,  or 
Jezreel,  and  lay  above  that  of  Manasseh  ; 
its  boundaries  are  given  in  Josh.  19  :  17-23. 
It  extended  from  Mt.  Carmel  to  the  Jordan, 
and  from  Mt.  Tabor  to  En-gannim.  Zebulun 
was  on  the  north,  Manasseh  on  the  south, 
and  Gilead  on  the  east,  across  the  Jordan. 
It  contained  sixteen  noted  cities  and  their 
villages.  Among  them  were  Megiddo,  Jez- 
reel, Shunem,  Beth-shan,  Endor,  Aphek, 
Taanach ;  and  Jezreel  stood  almost  exactly 
in  the  centre  of  the  territory.  This  region 
was  one  of  the  richest  and  most  fertile  in 
Palestine.  Many  historical  events  of  great 
interest  took  place  within  the  territory.  It 
furnished  two  kings  to  Israel— Baasha  and 
Elah.  1  Kings  15 :  27  ;  16 : 6.  Their  portion 
of  Palestine  is  still  among  the  most  fertile 
of  the  whole  land.  See  Jezreel,  Plain  of, 
and  Palestine. 

Ituraea  (U-u-re'ah),  an  enclosed  region. 
A  small  province  on  the  northwestern  bor- 
der of  Palestine.  It  derived  its  name  from 
"  Jetur,"  a  son  of  Ishmael.  Gen.  25 :  15 ;  1 
Chron.  1  :  31 ;  5  :  19.  This  district  is  now 
called  Jedur,  and  is  about  17  miles  from 
north  to  south  by  20  from  east  to  west. 
Philip  was  tetrarch  of  Ituraea  and  of  the 
region  of  Trachonitis.    Luke  3 : 1. 


Jabbok  (jdb'bok),  einptying.  A  stream 
rising  about  25  miles  east  of  the  north  end 
of  the  Dead  sea,  and  flowing  east,  then 
northward  and  westward,  and  finally  into 
the  Jordan  about  midway  between  the  Sea 
of  GaUlee  and  the  Dead  sea.  It  is  now 
called  the  Zerka  or  "  blue  "  river.  Across 
this  stream  Jacob  sent  his  family,  and  here 
his  wrestling  for  a  blessing  occurred.  Gen. 
32  :  22-24.  The  Israehtes  conquered  the 
kingdoms  of  Og  and  Sihon,  but  not  the 
Ammonite  country  nor  the  upper  Jabbok, 
which  explains  Deut.  2 :  37.  Compare  Num. 
21 :  24  ;  Deut.  3 :  16 ;  Josh.  12 : 2 ;  Judg.  11 : 
13,  22.  The  Jabbok,  before  it  enters  the 
Jordan  valley,  flows  through  a  deep,  nar- 
row ravine,  the  hills  being  from  1500  to 
2000  feet  in  height.  The  stream  abounds 
in  small  fish  of  excellent  flavor. 

Jabesh  and  Jabesh-Gilead  {jd'besh- 
gU'e-ad),  dry  Gilead.  A  city  east  of  the  Jor- 
dan ;  destroyed  by  the  Israehtes,  Judg.  21 : 
8-14;  delivered  from  Nahash  by  SjiuI,  1 
Sam.  11  : 1-11,  and  in  gratitude  therefor,  its 
people  brought  the  bodies  of  Saul  and  his 
sons,  which  the  Philistines  hung  upon  the 
walls  of  Beth-shan,  to  Jabesh,  and  caused 
them  to  be  buried  in  a  wood  near  by.  1 
Sam.  31 :  11-13.  David  blessed  them,  2  Sam. 
2  : 4-6,  but  afterward  removed  the  bones  to 
Saul's  ancestral  burying-place.  2  Sam.  2  : 
4-6 ;  21  :  12-14.  Robinson  identifies  it  with 
ed-Deir,  23  miles  southeast  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  on  the  south  side  of  Wady  Yabis. 
Merrill,  however.  Mould  identify  Jabesh 
with  the  ruins  of  a  town  found  about  7 
miles  from  Pella  and  about  2300  feet  above 


JABIN 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JAMES 


the  Jordan  valley.  This  seems  to  conform 
to  the  Biblical  statements  concerning  the 
place. 

Jabin  {jd'hin),  whom  lie—i.  e.,  God— ob- 
serves. 1.  King  of  Hazor,  a  northern  dis- 
trict of  Canaan.  Josh.  11 :  1.  He  and  his 
alhes  were  utterly  defeated  in  a  battle  with 
Joshua  at  Merom,  the  city  of  Hazor  was 
taken,  and  Jabin  put  to  death.  2.  Another 
king  of  the  same  name  and  place,  who  had 
great  wealth  and  power,  and  oppressed  the 
children  of  Israel  for  20  years.  Judg.  4 :  2. 
His  army  was  defeated  by  Deborah  and 
Barak,  and  Sisera,  his  principal  general,  put 
to  death. 

Jabneel  {jdb'ne-el  or  jctb'neel),  Jehovah 
causes  to  be  built.  A  town  of  Judah  ;  called 
also  Jabneh.  Josh.  15  :  11 ;  2  Chron.  26  :  6. 
Uzziah  captured  it  from  the  Philistines.  It 
was  called  by  Josephus,  Jamnia,  and  after 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  for  some 
time  the  seat  of  a  famous  Jewish  school  of 
learning.  It  is  identified  with  Yebnah,  a 
village  about  170  feet  above  the  Mediter- 
ranean and  12  miles  south  of  Joppa. 

Jacinth  or  Hyacinth,  "  amber  "  margin 
R.  V.  Ex.  28 :  19.  Probably  the  same  as 
the  ligure,  a  gem  of  a  yellowish-red  or  a 
dark  purple  color.  Rev.  9:17  ;  called  "sap- 
phire "  in  margin  of  R.  V.  Rev.  21 :  20.  In 
the  former  passage  there  is  reference  merely 
to  its  color. 

Jacob  {jd'kob),  supplanter.  The  second 
son  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah.  He  was  born 
with  Esau  probably  at  the  well  of  Lahai- 
roi,  about  b.  c.  1837.  His  history  is  related 
in  the  latter  half  of  the  Book  of  Genesis. 
He  bought  the  birthright  from  his  brother 
Esau,  and  afterward  acquired  the  blessing 
intended  for  Esau  by  practicing  a  well- 
known  deceit  on  Isaac.  Gen.  25  :  21-34 ;  27  : 
1-40.  Jacob,  in  mature  years,  was  sent  from 
the  family  home  to  avoid  his  brother,  and 
to  seek  a  wife  among  his  kindred  in  Padan- 
aram.  As  he  passed  through  Bethel,  God 
appeared  to  him.  After  the  lapse  of  21 
years  he  returned  from  Padan-aram  with 
two  wives,  two  concubines,  eleven  sons 
and  a  daughter,  and  large  property.  He 
escaped  from  the  angry  pursuit  of  Laban, 
from  a  meeting  with  Esau,  and  from  the 
vengeance  of  the  Canaanites  provoked  by 
the  murder  of  Shechem ;  and  in  each  of 
these  three  emergencies  he  was  aided  and 
strengthened  by  the  interposition  of  God, 
and  in  sign  of  the  grace  won  by  a  night 
of  wrestling  with  God  his  name  was 
changed  at  Jabbok  into  Israel.  Deborah 
and  Rachel  died  before  he  reached  Hebron  ; 
Joseph,  the  favorite  son  of  Jacob,  was  sold 
into  Egypt  eleven  years  before  the  death 
of  Isaac ;  and  Jacob  had  probably  reached 
his  130th  year  when  he  went  thither.  He 
was  presented  to  Pharaoh  and  dwelt  for  17 
years  in  Rameses  and  Goshen,  and  died  in 
his  147th  year.  His  body  was  embalmed, 
carried  with  great  care  and  pomp  into  the 
land  of  Canaan,  and  deposited  with  his  fath- 
ers, and  his  wife  Leah,  in  the  cave  of  Mach- 
pelah.  Gen.  chs.  27  to  50.  The  example  of 
Jacob  is  quoted  by  the  first  and  the  last  of 
the  minor  prophets.  Besides  the  frequent 
mentioDL  of  his  name  in  conjunction  with 


the  names  of  the  other  two  patriarchs, 
there  are  distinct  references  to  the  events 
in  the  life  of  Jacob  in  four  books  of  the 
New  Testament— John  1 :  51 ;  4 : 5, 12  ;  Acts 
7  :  12-15 ;  Rom.  9 :  11-13  ;  Heb.  11 :  21 ;  12 :  16. 

Jacob's  Well.     See  Sycliar. 

Jaddua  {jad-du'a  or  jdd'du-ah),  known. 
1.  Son  and  successor  in  the  liigh  priesthood 
of  Jonathan  or  Johanan,  and  last  of  the 
high  priests  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. R.  V.  Joiada.  Neh.  12  :  11,  22.  B.  c. 
406-332.  2.  One  of  the  chief  of  the  people 
who  sealed  the  covenant  with  Nehemiah. 
Neh.  10 :  21. 

Jael  ija'el),  a  wild  goat.  Wife  of  Heber, 
the  Kenite  who  slew  Sisera,  general  of  the 
Canaanitish  army.  While  Sisera  was  sleep- 
ing in  her  tent  Jael  drove  a  large  nail  or 
tent-pin  through  his  temples.  Judg.  4  ; 
17-23. 

Jah  ijdh).  Ps.  68 : 4.  A  form  of  the  He- 
brew word  "Jehovah."  It  is  part  of  the 
compound  words  "Adonijah  "  ("  God  is  my 
Lord")  and  "hallelujah"  ("Praise  the 
Lord  ").    See  Jehovah. 

Jahaz  {jd'hdz),  place  trodden  down.  A 
jNIoabitish  city  situated  near  the  desert ; 
afterward  reckoned  to  the  tribe  of  Reuben 
and  assigned  to  the  priests.  Num.  21 :  23 ; 
Deut.  2  :  32 ;  Isa.  15  :  4 ;  Jer.  48  :  34.  It  is 
also  called  Jahaza,  Josh.  13  :  18,  A.  V.  Jaha- 
zah,  Josh.  21 :  36  ;  Jer.  48 :  21,  A.  V.,  and  Jah- 
zah.  1  Chron.  6 :  78  A.  V.,  and  Jer.  48  :  21 
R.  V.  At  this  place  the  Israehtes  gained  a 
victory  over  Sihon  and  conquered  the  ter- 
ritorj'  between  the  Arnon  and  the  Jabbok  ; 
but  in  later  times  Jahaz  seems  to  have  been 
occupied  by  the  Moabites. 

Jair  (jd'ir),  whom  Jehovah  enlightens.  1. 
A  chief  warrior  under  Moses,  (descended 
from  the  most  powerful  family  of  Judah 
and  Manasseh.  He  took  all  the  country 
of  Argob  (the  modern  Lejah)  on  the  east 
side  of  Jordan,  and,  besides,  some  villages 
in  Gilead,  Avhich  he  called  Havoth-jair, 
"villages  of  Jair."  1  Chron.  2 :  21-23  ;  Num. 
32  :41 ;  Deut.  3  :  14  :  comp.  Josh.  13  :  30.  2. 
Jair  the  Gileadite,  who  judged  Israel  22 
years.  "He  had  thirty  sons  who  rode  on 
thirty  ass-colts,  and  they  had  thirty  cities, 
which  are  called  Havoth-jair,  which  are  in 
Gilead."  Judg.  10  :  3-5.  3.  A  Benjamite, 
father  of  Mordecai.  Esth.  2:5.  4.  In  1 
Chron.  20  :  5,  in  the  A.  V.,  Jair  occurs,  but 
it  is  a  totally  different  name  in  Hebrew, 
meaning  "  whom  God  awakens."  This  Jair 
was  the  father  of  Elhanan,  who  killed 
Lachmi,  the  brother  of  Goliath.  He  is 
called  Jaare-oregim  in  2  Sam.  21 :  19. 

Jairns  (ja-i'rus),  whom  God  enlightens.  1. 
A  ruler  of  a  synagogue  in  some  town  near 
the  western  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 
Matt.  9  :  18 ;  Mark  5 :  22 ;  Luke  8  :  41.  (a.  d. 
28.)    2.  Same  as  Jair.    3.  Esth.  11:2. 

James  (jdmez),  same  name  as  Jacob.  1. 
James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  one  of  the  twelve 
apostles,  and  elder  brother  of  John.  His 
mother's  name  was  Salome.  He  was  a  fish- 
erman, Mark  1 :  19,  when  at  the  call  of  the 
Master  he  left  all,  and  became  a  disciple, 
^fatt.  10:2:  Mark  3:7;  Luke  6  :  14  ;  Acts 
1 :  13.  The  name  of  Boanerges  was  given  . 
to  him  and  his  brother.  The  "  sons  of  thun* 
115 


JAMES,  EPISTLE  OF 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JEHOIACHIN 


der  "  had  a  burning  and  impetuous  spirit, 
which  twice  exhibits  itself.  Mark  lu  :  37  ; 
Luke  9  :  54.  He  was  one  of  tlie  three  who  wit- 
nessed the  raising  of  Jairus'  daughter,  the 
transfiguration,  and  tlie  agony  of  Jesus  in 
Gethsemane.  On  tlie  day  of  the  ascension 
he  is  mentioned  as  pei-severing,  Avith  the 
rest  of  the  apostles  and  disciples,  in  prayer. 
Acts  1 :  13.  Shortly  before  the  passover,  in 
the  year  44,  he  was  put  to  death  by  Herod 
Agrippa  I.  Acts  12 : 1,  2.  2.  James  the  son 
of  Alphseus,  one  of  the  twelve  apostles. 
Matt.  10 : 3.  Called  also  James  the  Less. 
Mark  15  :  40 ;  16  : 1  ;  Matt.  27  :  56 ;  Acts  1 : 
13.  Tradition  says  he  labored  in  Palestine 
and  Egypt.  By  some  he  is  regarded  as  a 
cousin  of  Jesus.  8.  James  the  "  brother  of 
the  Lord."  Gal.  1 :  19.  At  some  time  in  the 
40  days  that  intervened  between  the  resur- 
rection and  the  ascension,  the  Lord  ap- 
peared to  him.  1  Cor.  15  :  7.  Ten  years 
after  we  find  James  mentioned  with  Peter, 
and  with  him  deciding  on  the  admission 
of  Paul  into  fellowship  with  the  church  at 
Jerusalem,  Acts  15  :  13 ;  and  from  hence- 
forth we  always  find  him  equal  to,  and 
sometimes  presiding  over,  the  very  chief- 
est  apostles,  Peter,  John,  and  Paul.  Acts 
9 :  27.  This  pre-eminence  is  evident  through- 
out the  after-history  of  the  apostles,  Mhether 
we  read  it  in  the  Acts,  in  the  epistles,  or  in 
ecclesiastical  writers.  Acts  12  :  17  ;  15  :  13, 
19 ;  21 :  IS  ;  Gal.  2 : 9.  According  to  tradi- 
tion, James  A^-as  thrown  down  from  the 
temple  by  the  scribes  and  Pharisees ;  he 
was  then  stoned  and  his  brains  dashed  out 
with  a  fuller's  club  while  praying  for  his 
murderers.  Josephus  places  his  death  in 
62  A.  D.,  but  Hegesippus  in  69  a.  d. 

James,  the  General  Epistle  of.  The 
author  of  this  epistle  was  in  all  probability 
James  the  "  brother  of  the  Lord."  It  was 
written  from  Jerusalem,  probably  before  a. 
D.  62.  Its  object  is  to  comfort  the  dispersed 
Jews,  commending  to  them  patience  in  suf- 
fering, joy  in  sorrow,  and  prayer  in  trouble. 
There  is  a  close  resemblance  between  the 
pastoral  letter  in  Acts  15 :  23  and  this  epistle. 
Both  commence  with  "greeting."  Jas. 
1:1. 

J  a  p  li  e  t  li  (jcl'iiheth),  enlarciement.  One 
of  the  three  sons  of  Noah.  The  descend- 
ants of  Japheth  occupied  the  "  isles  of  the 
Gentiles,"  R.V.  "isles  of  the  nations,"  Gen. 
10  : 5 — i.  e.,  the  coast  lands  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean sea  in  Europe  and  Asia  JMinor— 
whence  they  spread  northward  over  the 
whole  continent  of  Europe  and  a  consider- 
able portion  of  Asia. 

Jason  (jd'son),  one  ivho  will  heal.  A 
Thessalonian,  and  probably  a  relative  of 
Paul,  whom  he  entertained,  and  in  conse- 
quence received  rough  treatment  at  the 
hands  of  the  unbelieving  Jews.  Acts  17 ; 
with  Rom.  16  :  21. 

Jasper.  The  last  stone  in  the  breast- 
plate of  the  high  priest,  and  the  first  in  the 
foundations  of  the  new^  Jerusalem.  Ex. 
28 :  20 ;  Rev.  21 :  19.  Jasper  is  an  opaque 
species  of  quartz,  of  different  colors,  often 
banded  or  spotted,  and  susceptible  of  a 
high  polish.  The  dark-green  kind  is  sup- 
posed to  be  the  variety  of  the  Bible. 
116 


J  a  van  {jd'van),  clay.  1.  A  son  of  Ja- 
pheth. Gen.  10  : 2,  4  ;  Isa.  66  :  19 ;  Ezek.  27  : 
13.  Javan  was  regarded  as  the  representa- 
tive of  the  Greek  race.  The  name  was 
probal^ly  introduced  into  Asia  by  the  Phoe- 
nicians, to  whom  the  lonians  were  natu- 
rally better  known  than  any  other  of  the 
Hellenic  races,  on  account  of  their  com- 
mercial activity  and  the  high  prosperity  of 
their  towns  on  the  western  coast  of  Asia 
Minor.  2.  A  town  in  the  southern  part  of 
Arabia  (Yemen),  whither  the  Phoenicians 
traded.    Ezek.  27  :  19. 

Jazer,  Josh.  21 :  39,  or  Jaazer  {jd'zer, 
jd'a-zer  or  ja-d'zer).  Num.  21  :  32,  A.  V.,  a 
city  of  the  Ammonites,  near  the  river  Jab- 
bok.  Its  ruins  are  at  Sar,  about  15  miles 
from  Hesban. 

Sea  of.  Jer.  48  :  32.  May  be  a  lake  ex- 
isting in  ancient  times  near  the  city  of  Ja- 
zer. But  scholare  are  not  agreed  what 
the  Sea  of  Jazer  refers  to. 

Jebus  {je'bus),  place  trodden  down,  thresh- 
ing-floor. The  ancient  name  of  Jerusalem 
among  the  Canaanites,  Judg.  19 :  10,  11 ;  1 
Chron.  11  :  4,  5 ;  probably  derived  from  a 
descendant  of  Canaan  the  son  of  Ham. 
Gen.  10  :  16.  The  tribe  of  Jebusites  were 
partially  subdued  by  Joshua,  Josh.  10  :  23, 
40;  12:10;  15:63;  and  they  were  permitted 
to  remain  after  the  conquest  of  Jebus,  by 
David.  Num.  13  :  29  ;  2  Sam.  5  : 6-9  ;  24  :  16- 
25  ;  1  Chron.  11 :  4r-8 ;  Ezra  9  : 1,  2.  "  Jebusi " 
or  "  Jebusite  "  is  sometimes  put  for  the  city 
Jebus.    Josh.  15  : 8 ;  18  :  16  ;  Zech.  9  :  7. 

Jedutliun  {je-du'thiin  or  jM'u-thun), 
praising.  A  Levite  of  the  family  of  JNIerari, 
probably  the  same  as  Ethan.  Compare  1 
Chron.  15  :  17,  19,  with  1  Chron.  16  :  41,  42 ; 
25  : 1,  3,  6 ;  2  Chron.  35 :  15.  His  office  was 
generally  to  preside  over  the  music  of  the 
temple  service.  Jeduthun's  name  stands 
at  the  head  of  the  39th,  62d,  and  77th 
Psalms. 

Jehoaliaz  {je-ho'a-hdz),  wJiom  Jehovah 
holds.  1.  Son  and  successor  of  Jehu,  king 
of  Israel  for  17  years,  b.  c.  856-840.  See  2 
Kings  13  : 1-9.  His  reign  was  disastrous  to 
the  kingdom.  The  kings  of  Syria,  Hazael 
and  Benhadad,  oppressed  and  spoiled  the 
country.  When  his  troubles  multiplied  he 
sought'  the  Lord,  whom  he  had  forsaken, 
and  God  ultimately  raised  up  a  deliverer  in 
the  person  of  Jehoash,  his  son.  2  Kings  5  : 
25.  2.  Son  and  successor  of  Josiah,  king 
of  Judah,  2  Kings  23  :  30  ;  called  Shallum, 
1  Chron.  3  :  15 ;  Jer.  22  :  11.  Though  he  was 
the  fourth  son,  yet  the  people  chose  him 
king.  He  was  ah  evil-doer,  2  Kings  23  :  32, 
and  referred  to  as  a  young  lion  by  Ezek. 
19  : 3.  He  reigned  only  three  months,  b.  c. 
610.  Pharaoh-necho  sent  him  a  prisoner 
loaded  with  chains  into  Egypt,  and  there 
he  died,  Jer.  22  :  11,  12,  and  his  brother  Je- 
hoiakim  became  king  in  his  stead.  2  Kings 
23  :  30,  35.  3.  The  same  with  Ahaziah  and 
Azariah.  Compare  2  Chron.  21:17;  22:1, 
6,  8,  9. 

Jehoash  (je-hd'ash),  whom  Jehovah  be- 
stowed. Full  form  of  the  name  commonly 
written  Joash,  and  applied  to  two  kings. 
See  Joash,  3  and  4. 

Jehoiacliiu  {je-hoi'a-kin),  whom  Jehovah 


JEHOIADA 


OF  THE  BIBLE.      JEHOSHAPHAT,  VALLEY  OF 


has  appointed.  Jeconiah,  1  Chron.  3:17; 
Coniah,  Jer.  22 :  24 ;  Jeconias,  R.  V.  "  Jecho- 
niah."  Matt.  1  :  12.  Son  and  successor  of  Je- 
hoiakim,  kingof  Judab,  B.C.  598.  2  Kings  24  : 
8.  In  his  brief  reign  Nebuchadnezzar  be- 
sieged Jerusalem  and  carried  the  king  and 
royal  family,  the  cliief  men  of  the  nation, 
arid  great  treasures,  unto  Babylon.  2  Kings 
24  :  6-16.  Jehoiachin  merited  tliis  punish- 
ment. Jer.  22 :  24-30.  For  37  years  he  was 
a  captive,  but  Evil-merodach  liberated  him 
and  made  him  share  the  royal  bounty  and 
be  head  of  all  the  captive  kings  in  Baby- 
lon. 

Jelioiada  (je-hoi'a-dah),  ivhom  Jehovah 
knows.  1.  The  father  of  Benaiah,  which 
see.  2  Sam.  8  :  18  ;  1  Kings  1 :  32  ft'. ;  1  Chron. 
18  :  17.    This  Jehoiada  was  the  cliief  priest, 

1  Chron.  27 : 5,  and  therefore  he  was  the 
leader  of  the  priests  who  came  to  David  at 
Hebron.  1  Chron.  12  :  27.  By  a  copyist's 
error,  Benaiah  is  said  to  have  been  the 
father  of  Jehoiada  instead  of  the  son.  1 
Chron.  27  :  34.  2.  A  high  priest  of  the  Jews, 
and  husband  of  Jehosheba.  2  Kings  11:4. 
See  Athaliali  and  Joash.  His  administra- 
tion was  so  auspicious  to  the  civil  and  re- 
ligious interests  of  the  nation,  2  Kings  12 : 

2  ;  2  Chron.  23  :  16,  that  when  he  died,  at 
an  advanced  age,  he  was  buried  in  the 
royal  sepulchres  at  Jerusalem.  2  Chron. 
24 :  16.  Many  do  not  accept  the  age  of  132 
years  assigned  to  him,  for  the  reason  that 
if  he  lived  so  long,  then,  when  he  married 
the  daughter  of  Jehoram,  he  must  have 
been  80,  while  Jehoram  was  only  32.  It 
has  been  proposed  to  read  "83"  instead. 
3.  The  second  priest  in  the  reign  of  Zede- 
kiah.  Jer.  29  :  2o-29.  4.  One  who  helped 
repair  the  wall.    Neh.  3:6.    R.  V.  "Joiada." 

Jehoiaklm  (je-hoi-a-khn),  ivhom  Jehovah 
sets  up.  Called  Eliakim,  son  of  Josiah  and 
king  of  Judah.  After  deposing  Jehoahaz, 
Pharaoh  -  necho  set  Eliakim,  his  elder 
brother,  upon  the  throne,  and  changed 
his  name  to  Jehoiakim.  For  four  years  Je- 
hoiakim  was  subject  to  Egypt,  when  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, after  a  short  siege,  entered  Je- 
rusalem, took  the  king  prisoner,  and  bound 
him  in  fetters  to  carry  him  to  Babylon. 
Jehoiakim  became  tributary  to  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, but  after  three  years  broke  his  oath 
of  allegiance  and  rebelled  against  him.  2 
Kings  24  : 1.  Nebuchadnezzar  sent  against 
him  numerous  bands  of  Chaldeans,  with 
Syrians,  Moabites,  and  Ammonites,  2  Kings 
24 :  2,  and  who  cruelly  harassed  the  whole 
country.  Either  in  an  engagement  with 
some  of  these  forces,  or  else  by  the  hand 
of  his  own  oppressed  subjects,  Jehoiakim 
came  to  a  violent  end  in  the  eleventh  year 
of  his  reign.  His  body  was  cast  out  igiio- 
rainiously  on  the  ground,  and  then  was 
dragged  away  and  buried  "  with  the  burial 
of  an  ass,"  without  pomp  or  lamentation. 
"  beyond  the  gates  of  Jerusalem."  Jer.  22  : 
18, 19  ;  36  :  ;30.  All  the  accounts  we  have 
of  Jehoiakim  concur  in  ascribing  to  him  a 
vicious  and  irreligious  character.  2  Kings 
23  :  37  ;  24  : 9  ;  2  Chron.  36 : 5.  The  reign  of 
Jehoiakim  extends  from  b.  c.  609  to  b.  c. 
598,  or,  as  some  reckon,  599. 

Jehouadab  {je-hm'a-dab),  or  Jouadab, 
8 


whom  Jehovah  incites.  The  son  of  Rechab, 
the  founder  of  the  Rechabites.  which  see. 
He  joined  Jehu  in  the  slaughter  of  the 
BaaUtes.    2  Kings  10 :  15-23. 

Jelioram  (je-hf/ram),  whom  Jehovah  has 
exalted.  1.  The  son  and  successor  of  Jehosh- 
apliat,  king  of  Judah.  He  reigned  eight 
years,  three  of  which  he  was  associated 
with  his  father,  though  some  suppose  that 
he  reigned  eight  years  alone.  He  married 
Athahah,  the  daughter  of  Ahab  and  Jeze- 
bel; and,  through  her  influence,  all  the 
brothers  of  the  king  were  murdered,  and 
the  gross  idolatries  of  the  Phoenicians  were 
introduced  into  the  kingdom  of  Judah. 
The  Edoraites  revolted,  and  made  them- 
selves independent.  The  PliiMstines  on  one 
side,  and  the  Arabians  on  the  other,  rav- 
aged the  country,  and  even  Jerusalem  and 
the  royal  palace.  Jehoram  was  at  length 
smitten  with  a  malignant  dysentery.  He 
died  miserably,  and  was  denied  the  "honors 
of  a  roval  burial.  He  is  also  called  Joram. 
2  Kings  8 :  16, 21,  24;  2  Chron.  21.  2.  One  of 
the  priests.   2  Chron.  17  :  8.    3.  See  Jorain. 

JeliosliaiJliat  {je'hush'a-fat),  tvhom  Jeho- 
vah judges.  1.  King  of  Judah,  son  of  Asa, 
succeeded  to  the  throne  b.  c.  914,  when  he 
was  35  years  old,  and  reigned  25  years.  His 
history  is  in  1  Kings  15  :  24 ;  2  Kings  8  :  16, 
or  in  a  continuous  narrative  in  2  Chron.  17 : 
1  to  21 : 3.  He  was  contemporary  with  Ahab, 
Ahaziah,  and  Jehoram.  He  was  one  of  the 
pious  and  prosperous  kings  of  Judah.  At 
first  he  strengthened  himself  against  Is- 
rael, but  soon  afterward  formed  an  alhance 
with  Israel.  Jehoshaphat  tried  to  put  down 
the  high  places  and  groves  in  which  the 
people  of  Judah  burned  incense,  and  sent 
the  wisest  Levites  through  the  cities  and 
towns  to  instruct  the  people  in  religion. 
He  received  tribute  from  the  Philistines 
and  Arabians,  and  kept  up  a  large  standing 
army  in  Jerusalem.  He  became  Ahab's 
ally  in  the  great  battle  of  Ramoth-gilead, 
for  which  he  was  severelv  reproved  by 
Jehu.  2  Chron.  19  : 2.  He  built  at  Ezion- 
geber,  with  the  help  of  Ahaziah,  a  navy  de- 
signed to  go  to  Tarshish;  but  it  Avas 
wrecked.  He  was  miraculously  delivered 
from  a  threatened  attack  of  the  people  of 
Amnion,  Moab,  and  Seir.  He  also  had  war 
against  the  rebellious  king  of  Moab.  2  Kings 
3.  In  his  declining  years  the  administra- 
tion of  affairs  was  placed,  probably  b.  c. 
891,  in  the  hand  of  his  son  Jehoram. 
There  are  five  persons  of  this  name  men- 
tioned in  the  Scriptures. 

Jelioshapliat,  Valley  of,  valley  of  the 
judgment  of  Jehovah.  A  place  named  only 
in  Joel  3  :  2,  12.  Three  leading  explana- 
tions have  been  given.  1.  That  the  valley 
referred  to  is  the  same  as  the  "  valley  of 
Berachah,"  where  the  forces  allied  against 
Israel  were  defeated  by  Jehoshaphat.  2 
Chron.  20  :  16-26.  This  event  took  place 
100  years  before  Joel,  and  may  have  given 
rise  to  this  expression  of  the  prophet.  2. 
That  the  valley  is  that  of  the  Kedron,  east 
of  Jerusalem.  This  identification  of  Jehosh- 
aphat with  the  Kedron  is  noAv  generally 
regarded  as  based  upon  a  misinterpretation 
of  Joel.  3.  That  the  name  does  not  refer 
U7 


JEHOVAH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JEPHTHAH 


to  any  special  place  (see  margin  of  R.  V., 
wliich  reads,  "  The  Lord  judgeth  "),  but  to 
eitlier  (a)  tlie  scene  of  great  victories,  as 
those  of  the  Maccabees;  or  (&)  the  gen- 
eral judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world  ;  or 
(c)  the  truth  that  God's  persecuted  people 
he  will  defend  and  vindicate. 

Jehovah  (je-ho'vah),  he  ^vill  be.  A  title 
of  the  supreme  Being,  indicative  of  eternal 
and  immutable  self-existence.  Ex.  6  :  3. 
It  is  similar  to  the  title  "  I  am."  Ex.  3  :  14. 
In  the  English  Bible  it  is  usually  translated 
"  Lord  "  and  printed  in  small  capitals.  It 
occurs  first  in  the  second  chapter  of  Gen- 
esis. As  distinct  from  Elohim,  it  signifies 
the  God  of  revelation  and  redemption,  the 
God  of  the  Jews,  while  Elohim  is  the  God 
of  nature,  the  Creator  and  Preserver  of  all 
men.    See  Jah,  God. 

Jehu  ije'hu),  Jehovah  is  He.  1.  The  son 
of  Jehoshaphat,  king  over  Israel.  1  Kings 
19  :  16,  17.  Having  been  proclaimed  king 
in  the  presence  of  the  whole  army,  he  pro- 
ceeded towards  Jezreel,  and  executed  the 
predicted  judgments  upon  the  house  of 
Ahab.  He  slew  Joram,  the  reigning  king, 
and  mortally  wounded  Ahaziah,  king  of 
Judah,  who  was  with  him.  2  Kings  9 :  24. 
Jehu  then  entered  Jezreel,  and  had  Jezebel 
thrown  out  of  the  window  of  the  palace, 
and  her  body  was  trodden  under  foot,  ful- 
filUng  another  prophecy.  Jehu  then  se- 
cured possession  of  Samaria,  and  slew  all 
that  remained  unto  Ahab,  till  he  had  extir- 
pated him,  according  to  the  word  of  the 
Lord.  2  Kings  10  : 1-17.  He  then,  at  a  great 
festival,  exterminated  all  the  idolatrous 
priests  and  prophets  of  Baal,  as  traitors  to 
King  Jehovah,  and  turned  the  temple  of 
Baal  into  a  draughthouse.  2  Kings  10 :  18- 
28.  For  his  services  he  received  a  divine 
promise,  that  his  descendants,  for  four  gen- 
erations, should  possess  the  throne.  Jehu, 
himself,  was  a  decisive,  terrible,  and  ambi- 
tious man.  He  erred  in  allowing  the  golden 
calves  at  Dan  and  Bethel  to  remain.  He 
reigned  28  years.  2  Kings  10 :  29-36.  The 
name  of  Jehu  occurs  on  the  black  obelisk, 
in  the  British  Museum  :  "  Yaua,  the  son  of 
Khumri,"  i.  e.,  Jehu,  the  successor  of  Omri, 
the  founder  of  Samaria.  1  Kings  16 :  23, 
24.  2.  A  descendant  of  Judah.  1  Chron. 
2 :  38.  3.  A  descendant  of  Simeon.  1  Chron. 
4  :  35.  4.  One  of  David's  distinguished  offi- 
cers. 1  Chron.  12  :  3.  5.  The  son  of  Hanani, 
a  prophet  of  Samaria.  1  Kings  16 : 1-12 ;  2 
Chron.  19  : 1-3.  He  wrote  the  annals  of  Je- 
hoshaphat.   2  Chron.  20  :  34. 

Jephthah  (jtph'thah),  whom  God  sets 
free.  A  judge  about  b.  c.  1143-1137.  His 
history  is  contained  in  Judg.  11 : 1  to  12  : 8. 
He  was  a  Gileadite,  the  son  of  Gilead  and 
a  concubine.  Driven  by  the  other  sons 
from  his  father's  inheritance,  he  went  to 
Tob  and  became  the  head  of  a  marauding 
party  in  a  debatable  land,  probably  belong- 
ing to  Ammon.  2  Sam.  10  :  6.  When  a  war 
broke  out  between  the  children  of  Israel 
and  the  Ammonites,  he  signalized  himself 
for  courage  and  enterprise.  This  led  the 
Israelites  to  seek  his  aid  as  their  command- 
er-in-chief; and  though  he  objected  at  first 
on  the  ground  of  their  ill-usage  of  him, 
118 


yet,  upon  their  solemn  covenant  to  regard 
him  as  their  leader,  in  case  they  succeeded 
against  the  Ammonites,  he  took  command 
of  their  army.  After  some  preliminary  ne- 
gotiations with  the  Ammonites,  in  which 
the  question  of  the  right  to  the  country  is 
discussed  with  great  force  and  ingenuity, 
and  finding  every  attempt  to  concihate 
them  vain,  the  two  armies  met ;  the  Am- 
monites were  defeated  with  great  loss  of 
life,  and  their  country'  scoured  by  the  Is- 
raelites. On  the  eve  of  the  battle  Jephthah 
made  a  vow,  that  if  he  obtained  the  vic- 
tory, he  would  devote  to  God  whatever 
should  come  forth  from  his  house  to  meet 
him  on  his  return  home.  His  daughter,  an 
only  child,  welcomed  his  return  with  mu- 
sic and  dancing.  Jephthah  was  greatly 
afflicted  by  this  occurrence ;  but  his  daugli- 
ter  cheerfully  consented  to  the  performance 
of  his  vow,  wliich  took  place  at  the  expira- 
tion of  two  months ;  and  the  commemora- 
tion of  the  event  by  the  daughters  of  Is- 
rael was  required  by  a  public  ordinance. 
Whether  Jephthah  actually  offered  up  his 
daughter  as  a  burnt-oflfering  is  a  question 
that  continues  to  be  much  disputed.  Those 
who  maintain  the  negative  allege,  that  by 
translating  the  Hebrew  prefix  or,  rendered 
and  in  our  version,  all  difficulty  will  be  re- 
moved. His  vow  will  then  read,  "shall 
surely  be  the  Lord's,  or,  I  will  ofter  a  burnt- 
offering;  "  and  not  unfrequently  the  sense 
requires  that  the  Hebrew  shouid  be  thus 
rendered.  Moreover,  when  Jephthah  made 
this  vow,  he  could  not  have  intended  to 
insult  the  Lord  by  promising  a  sacrifice  of 
which  he  had  expressed  the  utmost  abhor- 
rence. Lev.  20  : 2-5 ;  Deut.  12  :  31 ;  especially 
as  it  is  recorded  that  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
was  upon  him  w^hen  he  uttered  his  vow. 
Suppose  a  dog  had  come  out  of  the  house 
of  Jephthah,  can  any  one  suppose  that  he 
would  have  offered  this  unclean  animal  as 
a  burnt-offering  to  the  Lord?  And  why, 
then,  should  Ave  suppose  that  he  would 
offer  a  human  sacrifice,  which  would  have 
been  so  much  more  abominable?  It  is, 
moreover,  argued  that  no  mention  is  made 
of  any  bloody  sacrifice  of  the  young  wo- 
man. But  merely  that  he  did  with  her  ac- 
cording to  his  vote  which  he  had  vowed ;  and 
she  knew  no  man :  or,  '•  she  had  not  known 
man."  R.  V.  These  last  words  seem  to 
convey,  not  obscurely,  the  idea  that  Jeph- 
thah devoted  his  daughter  to  the  Lord,  by 
consecrating  her  to  a  hfe  of  cehbacy.  And 
it  should  not  be  forgotten,  that  in  the 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  (ch.  11),  Jephthah 
is  placed  among  the  worthies  who  were 
distinguished  for  their  faith.  Now  can  we 
suppose  that  such  a  man  would  be  guilty 
of  the  crime  of  sacrificing  his  own  daugh- 
ter? Compare  Heb.  11 :  32  with  2  Sam.  12  :  9  ; 
1  Kings  11 : 5. 7.  Hence,  against  the  view  that 
he  offered  his  daughter  as  a  burnt-offering, 
the  sums  of  the  argument  are  :  1.  Jephthah 
must  have  known  that  human  sacrifices 
were  contrary  to  God's  law.  2.  That,  being 
under  the  influence  of  the  Spirit,  Judg.  11 : 
29,  he  would  be  prevented  from  slaying  his 
child,  as  Abraham  was.  3.  The  law  al- 
lowed him  to  redeem  his  daughter  for  30 


JEREMIAH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JERICHO 


shekels.  Lev.  27  : 4.  4.  No  account  of 
the  bloody  sacrifice  is  given,  but  another 
disposition  of  her  case  is  intimated.  5. 
Jephthah  is  in  the  list  of  worthies 
named  in  Heb.  11  for  their  faith.  Those 
who  urge  the  strict  literal  interpretation 
think  these  arguments  inconclusive;  and 
urge  that  Jephthah  was  a  wild  character 
in  a  rude  period,  and  that  there  is  not  a 
particle  of  evidence  that  God  approved  his 
rash  \o\\,  or  this  part  of  his  conduct.  In 
the  early  period  there  are  instances  of  per- 
sons guilty  of  some  great  sins,  yet  who  were 
generally  eminent  for  their  piety.  Jose- 
phus  says  :  "  Such  an  oblation  was  neither 
conformable  to  the  law,  nor  acceptable  to 
God."  His  next  act  was  one  of  severity  in 
dealing  with  the  Ephraimites,  who  were 
not  invited  to  war  against  the  Ammonites, 
hence  had  a  battle  with  the  Gileadites, 
and  were  defeated ;  and  the  latter,  seizing 
the  fords  of  the  Jordan,  slew  every  Ephraim- 
ite  who  attempted  to  escape  by  crossing  the 
river ;  and  the  method  employed  to  ascer- 
tain whether  they  belonged  to  Ephraim 
was,  to  cause  them  to  pronounce  the  word 
"  shibboleth,"  which  they  sounded  "  sibbo- 
leth ;  "  for,  it  seems  that,  by  this  time,  a  dif- 
ference in  the  manner  of  pronouncing  at 
least  one  Hebrew  letter  had  arisen  between 
the  inhabitants  on  the  different  sides  of 
the  Jordan.  On  this  occasion  42,000  men 
of  Ephraim  were  slain ;  which  was  a  pun- 
ishment for  commencing  a  war  with  so 
small  a  provocation.  Judg.  11  and  12.  Jeph- 
thah died  after  judging  six  years,  and  was 
buried  among  his  people,  the  Gileadites,  in 
one  of  their  cities.    Judg.  12  : 7. 

Jereiuiali  (jSr-e-ml'ah),  whom  Jehovah 
setteth  up  or  appointeth.  1.  The  distinguished 
prophet,  son  of  Hilkiah,  a  priest  of  Ana- 
thoth.  Jer.  1 : 1-6.  He  was  called  to  assume 
the  prophetic  office  when  a  youth,  and 
on  that  account  declined  it :  but  God  prom- 
ised him  grace  and  strength  sufficient  for 
his  work.  He  prophesied  under  Josiah,  Je- 
hoiakim,  Jehoiachin,  and  Zedekiah ;  and 
for  some  time  during  the  exile.  During 
the  course  of  his  predictions,  Jerusalem 
was  in  a  distracted  and  deplorable  condi- 
tion, and  the  prophet  was  calumniated, 
imprisoned,  and  often  in  danger  of  death. 
Jeremiah  expressly  foretold  that  the  cap- 
tivity would  endure  for  70  years  ;  he  also 
predicted  the  return  of  the  people  to  their 
own  country.  He  appears  to  have  stood 
high  in  the  estimation  of  Nebuchadnezzar. 
Jer.  39 :  11-14.  Towards  the  close  of  his  life 
he  was  carried  into  Egypt  against  his  will, 
by  the  Jews  who  remained  in  Judea  after 
the  murder  of  Gedaliah,  where  he  probably 
died.  Jeremiah  is  called  "Jeremy,"  Matt. 
2 :  17  A.  v.,  and  "Jeremias,"  Matt.  16  :  14  A. 
V.  The  name  Jeremy,  in  Matt.  27 :  9, 10,  is 
probably  an  error  of  the  transcribers  for 
Zechariah.  The  R.  V.  reads  Jeremiah  in 
all  these  places.  Canon  Cook  says  of  Jere- 
miah :  "  His  character  is  most  interesting. 
We  find  him  sensitive  to  a  most  painful  de- 
gree, timid,  shy,  hopeless,  desponding,  con- 
stantly complaining,  and  dissatisfied  with 
the  course  of  events,  but  never  flinching 
from  duty.   .   .  .  Timid  in  resolve,  he  was 


unflinching  in  execution  ;  as  fearless  when 
he  had  to  face  the  whole  world  as  he 
was  dispirited  and  prone  to  murmuring' 
when  alone  with  God.  Judged  by  his 
own  estimate  of  himself,  he  -was  feeble, 
and  his  mission  a  failure ;  really,  in  the 
hour  of  action  and  ^vhen  duty  called  him, 
he  was  in  very  truth  '  a  defenced  city  and  an 
iron  pillar,  and  brazen  u'alls  against  the 
whole  land.'  Jer.  1 :  18.  He  was  a  noble 
example  of  the  triumph  of  the  moral  over 
the  physical  nature."  There  are  eight  per- 
sons of  this  name  mentioned  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. 

Jereiuiali,  Book  of.  This  prophecy 
embraces  a  period  of  upwards  of  40  years, 
between  b.  c.  628  and  b.  c.  586.  It  relates 
to  the  judgments  that  were  to  come  upon 
the  people  for  their  gross  idolatry  and  cor- 
ruption ;  to  the  restoration  which  awaited 
them,  whenever,  they  would  repent  of  and 
forsake  their  sins ;  and  to  the  glory  which 
would  arise  on  the  church  in  future  times. 
Melancholy,  tender  sensibility,  and  a  tone 
of  grief,  are  the  distinguishing  characteris- 
tics of  Jeremiah's  style.  The  several  proph- 
ecies may  be  arranged  thus :  I.  The  in- 
troduction, chap.  1.  II.  Reproofs  of  the 
sins  of  the  Jews,  consisting  of  seven  sec- 
tions—a. chap.  2,  b.  3-6,  c.  7-10,  d.  11-13,  e. 
14-17 :  18,/.  17  :  19,  20,  g.  21-24.  III.  A  gen- 
eral review  of  the  heathen  nations,  and 
also  of  the  people  of  Israel,  consisting  of 
two  sections— a.  46-49,  which  may  liave 
been  transposed,  b.  25,  and  an  historical 
appendix  in  three  sections— a.  26,  b.  27,  c. 
28,  29.  IV.  Two  sections  picturing  the 
hopes  of  brighter  times— a.  30,  31,  b.  32,  33, 
to  which  is  added  an  historical  appendix 
in  three  sections— a.  34  :  1-7,  b.  34  :  8-22,  c. 

35.  V.  The  conclusion,  in  two  sections— a. 

36,  b.  45.  Added  some  time  afterwards— a. 
37-39,  b.  40-43,  c.  46 :  13-26.  The  fifty-second 
chapter  of  Jeremiah  is  nearly  the  same  with 
2  Kings  24  :  18-25  :  30.  Both  were  mainly 
drawn  from  the  same  sources.  The  order 
of  the  prophecies  of  Jeremiah,  from  chap. 
21 :  15  to  the  end  of  the  book,  is  diflTerent  in 
the  Septuagint  version  from  that  of  the 
Hebrew  text ;  for  those  prophecies  which, 
in  the  Hebrew,  occupy  the  last  place — 46- 
51— are  found  in  the  Greek  translation  after 
chap.  25  :  14,  and  in  a  different  order.  In 
some  editions  of  the  Septuagint  the  chap- 
ters are  as  in  the  Hebrew. 

Jericho  (jer'i-ko),  city  of  the  moon,  or 
jjlace  of  fragrance.  A  city  of  Benjamin, 
situated  in  the  valley  of  "the  Jordan,  on 
the  west  side  of  that  river,  and  north  of  its 
entrance  into  the  Dead  sea.  Josh.  2:1-3; 
1  Kings  16  :  34.  It  was  also  called  the  City 
of  Pahn-trees.  Dent.  34  r  3 ;  Judg.  1 :  16. 
As  Jericho  was  the  first  city  that  was  taken, 
on  the  west  of  the  Jordan,  the  ban  was 
laid  on  all  the  property  in  it.  Joshua 
burned  the  city  with  fire,  and  pronounced 
a  solemn  curse  upon  the  person  who,  at 
any  succeeding  period,  should  build  its 
walls  or  set  up  its  gates,  Josh.  4  :  13 ;  which 
was  executed  upon  Hiel,  533  years  after- 
ward. 1  Kings  16  :  33,  34.  Previous  to  this, 
however,  the  city  had  been  rebuilt,  but  not 
upon  its  ancient  foundations.  Judg.  3  :  13 ; 
119 


JER0B0A5I 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JERUSALEM 


2  Sam.  10  : 5  ;  2  Kings  2  : 4,  5.  The  more 
ancient  city  was  probably  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  tlie  beautiful  fountain,  which  is 
apparently  the  same  whose  waters  Elisha 
healed.  2  Kings  2  :  18-22.  The  later  Jer- 
icho appears  to  have  occupied  the  site  of 
the  miserable  and  hlthy  village,  Er-Riha, 
nearly  two  miles  from  the  fountain.  Ezra 
2 :  34  ;  Neh.  3:2;  ^latt.  19  :  1 ;  20  :  29-34  ; 
Mark  10  :  1,  46,  52  ;  Luke  18  :  35-43 ;  19  : 1- 
10.  Riha  lies  almost  desert  ;  and  even  that 
"one  solitary  palm  tree"  which  Dr.  Rob- 
inson saw  is  gone.  The  inhabitants  are  a 
feeble  and  licentious  race.  The  road  be- 
tween Jerusalem  and  Jericho  still  retains 
its  ancient  character  for  scenes  of  assault 
and  robbery.    Luke  10  :  30. 

Jeroboam  {jlr'o-ho'am),  whose  people  are 
many.   There  were  two  kings  of  this  name : 

1.  The  first  king  of  the  divided  kingdom 
of  Israel,  b.  c.  975-954,  was  the  son  of  Ne- 
bat.  He  was  made  by  Solomon  the  super- 
intendent of  the  taxes  exacted  from  the 
tribe  of  Ephraim.  1  Kings  11  :  28.  He 
made  the  most  of  his  position,  and  at  last 
was  perceived  by  Solomon  to  be  aiming 
at  the  monarchy.  He  was  leaving  Jerusa- 
lem, when  he  was  met  by  Ahijah  the  proph- 
et, who  gave  him  the  assurance  that,  on 
condition  of  obedience  to  his  laws,  God 
would  establish  for  him  a  kingdom  and 
dynasty  equal  to  that  of  David,  1  Kings 
11  :  29-40.  Solomon  attempting  to  arrest 
Jeroboam,  caused  his  flight  into  Egypt. 
There  he  remained  until  Solomon's  death. 
Jeroboam  married  Ano,  the  elder  sister  of 
the  Egyptian  queen  Tahpenes,  and  re- 
turned to  Shechem,  where  took  place  the 
conference  with  Rehoboam,  and  the  final 
revolt  which  ended  in  the  elevation  of  Jer- 
oboam to  the  throne  of  the  northern  king- 
dom. Fearing  that  the  yearly  pilgrimages 
to  Jerusalem  would  undo  all  the  work 
which  he  eftected,  he  boldly  decided  to 
rend  the  religious  unity  of  the  nation, 
which  was  as  yet  unimpaired.  He  caused 
two  golden  calves  to  be  made  and  set  up  at 
the  two  extremities  of  his  kingdom,  one  at 
Dan  aiid  the  other  at  Bethel.  It  was  while 
dedicating  the  altar  at  Bethel  that  a 
prophet  from  Judah  suddenly  appeared, 
who  denounced  the  altar,  and  foretold  its 
desecration  by  Josiah.  The  king,  stretching 
out  his  hand  to  arrest  the  prophet,  felt  it 
withered  and  paralyzed,  and  only  at  the 
prophet's  prayer  saw  it  restored.  Jeroboam 
was  at  constant  war  with  the  house  of  Ju- 
dah, and  in  a  battle  with  Abijah  was  de- 
feated, and  soon  after  died  in  the  22d  year 
of  his  reign,  2  Chron.  13  :  20,  and  was  buried 
in  his  ancestral  sepulchre.    1  Kings  14  :  20. 

2.  Jeroboam  II.,  thesan  of  Joash,  the  fourth 
king  of  the  dynasty  of  Jehu,  b.  c.  825-784. 
He  was  one  of  the  most  prosperous  of  the 
kings  of  Israel.  He  repelled  the  Syrian  in- 
vaders, took  their  capital  city  Damascus,  2 
Kings  14 :  28,  and  recovered  the  whole  of 
the  ancient  dominion  from  Hamath  to  the 
Dead  sea.  2  Kings  14  :  25.  Amraon  and 
Moab  were  reconquered,  and  the  trans- 
Jordanic  tribes  were  restored  to  their  terri- 
tory, 2  Kings  13  : 5  ;  1  Chron.  5  :  17-22  ;  but 
it  was  merely  an  outward  restoration. 

120 


Jerusalem  (je-ru'sa-lem).  The  reli- 
gious and  political  capital  of  Israel ;  called 
also  "  the  Holy  City,"  Neh.  11 : 1 ;  "  City  of 
the  Great  King,"  Ps.  48 : 2  :  "  Citv  of  David" 
and  "Zion,"  1  Kings  8:1;  2  Kings  14:20. 
Jewish  writers  held  that  it  was  the  same  as 
Salem.  Gen.  14  :  18  ;  Ps.  76  : 2.  The  first 
notice  of  it  as  Jerusalem  is  in  Josh.  10  : 1. 
It  was  a  boundary  mark  between  Benja- 
min and  Judah.  Josh.  15  : 8  ;  18  :  16,  28, 
where  it  is  called  Ha-jebusi,  that  is,  the  Je- 
busite— in  A.  V.  Jebusi— and  in  Judg.  19 : 
10, 11,  "Jebus,  which  is  Jerusalem,"  because 
it  was  then  a  city  inhabited  by  Jebusites. 
Jerusalem  is  in  latitude  31°  47'' north,  and 
in  longitude  35°  18'  east  from  Greenwich, 
or  about  the  latitude  of  Savannah,  Ga.  It 
is  35  miles  east  from  the  Mediterranean  sea, 
and  18  miles  west  of  the  north  end  of  the 
Dead  sea.  It  stands  on  four  peaks  of  the 
mountain  ridge  of  Western  Palestine,  at  a 
general  elevation  of  about  2600  feet  above  the 
sea.  the  English  survey  placing  the  height 
of  Moriah  at  2440  feet,  Mount  Zion  2550  feet, 
Mount  of  Olives  2665  feet.  The  hill  on 
which  the  temple  stood  is  2440  feet  high, 
"dropping  abruptly,"  saj^s  Selah  Merrill, 
"at  the  northeast  comer  100  feet,  at  the 
southeast  corner  250  feet,  at  the  southwest 
corner  140  feet,  and  on  the  west  side  about 
100  feet,  while  toward  the  north,  beyond 
what  afterward  became  the  temple  area, 
the  ridge  rose  gradually  about  100  feet,  its 
highest  point  being  at  tlie  spot  now  known 
as  Jeremiah's  Grotto.  Excluding  the  ex- 
tension of  the  ridge  to  Jeremiah's  Grotto, 
the  horizontal  area  thus  bounded  is  the 
same  as  the  present  Haram  Area.  Zion 
Avas  100  feet  higher  than  the  temple  mount, 
and  the  distance  across  from  summit  to 
summit  was  less  than  one-third  of  a  mile  ; 
but  the  descent  to  the  bottom  of  the  ra- 
vine separating  the  two  was  100  feet  on  the 
side  of  the  temple  mount,  and  200  feet  on 
the  side  of  Zion.  Olivet  is  90  feet  higher 
than  the  highest  point  of  Jerusalem,  143 
feet  higher  than  Mount  Zion,  and  243  feet 
higher'than  the  temple  mount.  But  the 
distance  from  the  highest  point  of  Jerusa- 
lem to  the  top  of  Olivet  is  scarcely  more 
than  a  mile.  Thus  Olivet  overlooks  Jeru- 
salem, and  from  its  summit  the  best  view 
of  the  city  is  obtained."  "In  several  re- 
spects," says  Dean  Stanley,  "  its  situation  is 
singular  among  the  cities' of  Palestine.  Its 
elevation  is  remarkable ;  occasioned,  not 
from  its  being  on  the  summit  of  one  of  the 
numerous  hills  of  Judtea,  like  most  of  the 
towns  and  villages,  but  because  it  is  on  the 
edge  of  one  of  the  highest  table-lands  of 
the  country.  Hebron,  indeed,  is  higher 
still  by  sorhe  hundred  feet,  and  from  the 
south, 'accordingly  (even  from  Bethlehem), 
the  approach  to  Jerusalem  is  by  a  slight 
descent.  But  from  any  other  side  the  as- 
cent is  perpetual ;  and  to  the  traveller  ap- 
proaching the  city  from  the  east  or  west  it 
must  always  have  presented  the  appear- 
ance, beyond  any  other  capital  of  the  then 
known  world — we  may  say  beyond  any 
important  city  that  has'ever  existed  on  the 
earth— of  a  mountain  city  ;  breathing,  as 
compared  with  the  sultry  plains  of  Jordan, 


JERUSAIiEM 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JERUSALEM 


a  mountain  air;  enthroned,  as  compaxed 
with  Jericlio  or  Damascus,  Gaza,  or  Tyre, 
on  a  mountain  fastness."  Sinai  and  Pales- 
line,  17!',  1.  The  elevation  of  Jerusalem  is 
a  subject  of  constant  reference  and  exulta- 
tion by  the  Jewish  writers.  Their  fervid 
poetry  abounds  witli  allusions  to  its  heiglit, 
to  the  ascent  tliither  of  tlie  tribes  from  all 
parts  of  the  country.  It  was  the  habitation 
of  Jehovah,  from  which  "He  looked  upon 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  world."  Ps.  33 : 
1-1 ;  its  kings  were  "  higher  than  the  kings 
of  the  earth,"  Ps.  89  :  27.  Jerusalem,  if  not 
actually  in  the  centre  of  Palestine,  was  yet 
virtually  so.  This  central  position  as  ex- 
pressed in  the  words  of  Ezekiel  5:5,  "I 
have  set  Jerusalem  in  the  midst  of  the  na- 
tions and  countries  round  about  her,"  led 
in  later  ages  to  a  definite  beUef  that  the 
city  was  actually  in  the  centre  of  the  earth. 

i2oads.— There  Avere  3  main  approaches 
to  the  city :  1.  From  the  Jordan  valley  by 
Jericho  and  the  Mount  of  Olives.  This 
was  the  route  commonly  taken  from  the 
north  and  east  of  the  country — as  from  Gal- 
ilee by  our  Lord,  Luke  17  :  11 ;  18  :  35 ;  19  : 
1,  29,  37,  etc.,  from  Damascus  by  Pompey, 
to  Mahanaim  by  David.  2  Sam.  15  and  16.  It 
was  also  the  route  from  places  in  the  cen- 
tral districts  of  the  country,  as  Samaria.  2 
Chron.  28 :  15.  The  latter  part  of  the  ap- 
proach, over  the  INIount  of  Ohves,  as  gener- 
ally followed  at  the  present  day,  is  identical 
with  what  it  was,  at  least  in  one  memora- 
ble instance,  in  the  time  of  Christ.  2.  From 
the  great  maritime  plain  of  Philistia  and 
Sharon.  This  road  led  by  the  two  Bethhorons 
up  to  the  high  ground  at  Gibeon,  whence 
it  turned  south,  and  came  to  Jerusalem  by 
Ramah  and  Gibeah,  and  over  the  ridge 
north  of  the  city.  3.  There  was  also  the 
route  from  Hebron,  Bethlehem.,  and  Solo- 
mon's pools  on  the  south. 

To  the  four  hills,  Zion,  Ophei,  Acra,  and 
Moriah,  in  the  ancient  city  may  be  added 
the  hill  of  Goath,  and  Bezetha,  the  new 
town.  The  precise  topography  of  the  city 
has  long  been  in  dispute,  and  while  re- 
cent explorations  have  added  much  to 
our  knowledge  of  the  city,  many  points 
are  yet  unsettled.  The  western  hill  was 
called  Mount  Zion,  and  it  is  also  clear  that 
Zion  and  the  city  of  David  were  identi- 
cal. "  David  took  the  castle  of  Zion,  which 
is  the  city  of  David."  "  And  David  dwelt 
in  the  castle,  therefore  they  called  it  the 
city  of  David.  And  he  built  the  city  round 
about,  even  from  Millo  round  about,  and 
Joab  repaired  the  rest  of  the  city."  2  Sam. 
5  : 7-9 ;  1  Chron.  11 : 5-8.  Mount  Moriah  was 
tlie  eastern  hill,  2  Chron.  3  : 1,  and  the  site 
of  the  temple.  It  was  situated  in  the 
southwest  angle  of  the  area,  now  known  as 
the  Haram  area,  and  was,  Josephus  tells  us, 
an  exact  square  of  a  stadium,  or  600  Greek 
feet,  on  each  side.  At  the  northwest  angle 
of  the  temple  was  the  Antonia,  a  tower  or 
fortress.  North  of  the  side  of  the  temple  is 
the  building  now  known  to  Christians  as 
the  Mosque  of  Omar,  but  by  Moslems  it  is 
called  the  Dome  of  the  Rock.  Ophel  was 
the  southern  continuation  of  the  eastern  i 
lull,  which  gradually  came  to  a  point  at  I 


the  junction  of  the  valleys  Tyropoeon  and 
Jehoshaphat.  Bezetha,  "  the  New  City,"  no- 
ticed by  Josephus,  was  separated  from  Mo- 
riah by  an  artificial  ditch,  and  overlooked 
the  valley  of  Kidron  on  the  east;  this  hill 
was  enclosed  within  the  walls  of  Herod 
Agrippa.  Lastly,  Acra  lay  westward  of 
Moriah  and  northward  of  Zion,  and  formed 
the  "  Lower  City  "  in  the  time  of  Josephus. 

Qaiea.—ThQ  following  list  of  gates,  named 
in  the  Bible  and  Josephus,  are  given  by 
Smith:  1.  Gate  of  Ephraim.  2  Chron.  25: 
23 ;  Neh.  8 :  16 ;  12  :  39.  This  is  probably  the 
same  as  the  2.  Gate  of  Benjamin.  Jer.  20 : 
2 ;  37  :  13 ;  Zeeh.  14 :  10.  If  so,  it  was  400  cu- 
bits distant  from  the  3.  Comer  gate.  2  Chron. 
25  :  23  -.  26 : 9  ;  Jer.  31 :  38 ;  Zech.  14  :  10.  4. 
Gate  of  Joshua,  governor  of  the  city.  2  Kings 
23 : 8.  5.  Gate  between  the  two  walls.  2 
Kings  25 : 4 ;  Jer.  39  : 4.  6.  Horse  gate.  Neh. 
3  :  28 ;  2  Chron.  23  :  15 ;  Jer.  31 :  40.  7.  Ravine 
gate,  R.  v.,  valley  gate,  i.  e..  opening  on 
ravine  of  Ilinnom.  2  Chron.  26 : 9  ;  Neh.  2  : 
13,  15 ;  3 :  13.  8.  Fish  gate.  2  Chron.  33  :  14 ; 
Neh.  12 :  39.  9.  Dung  gate.  Neh.  2 :  13 ;  3 ; 
13.  10.  Sheep  gate.  Neh.  3  : 1, 32 ;  12  :  39.  11. 
East  gate.  Neh.  3  :  29.  12.  Miphkad.  R.  V., 
"  Hammiphkod."  Neh.  3 :  31.  13.  Fountain 
gate  (Siloam?).  Neh.  12:37.  14.  Water 
gate.  Neh.  12  :  37.  15.  Old  gate.  Neh.  12 : 
39.  16.  Prison  gate.  Neh.  12  :  39.  17.  Gate 
Harsith  (perhaps  the  Sun),  A.  V.,  East  gate. 
Jer.  19  :  2.  18.  First  gate.  Zech.  14  :  10.  19. 
Gate  Gennath  (gardens).  Joseph.  B.  J.  v.  4, 
§4.  20.  Essenes'  gate.  Joseph.  B.  J.  4,  g2. 
To  these  should  be  added  the  following 
gates  of  the  temple :  Gate  Sur.  2  Kings  11 : 
6.  Called  also  Gate  of  foundation.  2  Chron. 
23 : 5.  Gate  of  the  guard,  or  behind  the 
guard.  2  Kings  11 : 6,  19  ;  called  the  High 
gate,  R.  v.,  "  Upper  gate."  2  Chron.  23  :  20; 
27  : 3  ;  2  Kings  15 :  35.  Gate  Shallecheth.  1 
Chron.  26 :  16.  It  is  impossible  to  say  which 
or  how  many  of  these  names  designate  dif- 
ferent gates.  The  chief  gates  of  Jerusalem, 
now  are  four:  the  Damascus  gate  on  the 
north,  the  Jaffa  gate  on  the  west,  David  or 
Zion  gate  on  the  south,  and  St.  Stephen's 
gate  on  the  east.  The  Mohammedans  have 
other  names  for  these  gates.  Only  during 
the  past  six  centuries  have  traditions  con- 
nected the  martyr  Stephen  with  the  presf 
ent  St.  Stephen's  gate;  before  that  they 
were  located  to  the  north  about  the  Da- 
mascus gate.  The  small  door  in  the  gate, 
to  admit  persons  to  enter  after  fhe  gate  was 
locked  at  night,  is  in  the  Jaffa  gate,  but  it 
was  built  only  30  years  ago.  There  is  no 
evidence  that  there  was  such  a  door  in  our 
Lord's  time,  and  to  use  it,  as  illustrating 
"  the  needle's  eye,"  Luke  8  :  25,  is  without 
warrant  from  ancient  history. 

IFa^te.— According  to  Jose'phus,  the  first 
or  old  wall  began  on  the  north  at  the  tower 
called  Hippicus,  the  ruins  now  called  Kasr 
Jalud  at  the  northwest  angle  of  the  pres- 
ent city,  and,  extending  to  the  Xystus, 
joined  the  council  house,  and  ended  at  the 
west  cloister  of  the  temple.  The  second 
wall  began  at  the  gate  Gennath,  in  the  old 
wall,  probably  near  the  Hippicus,  and 
passed  round  the  northern  quarter  of  the 
city,  enclosing  the  great  valley  of  the  Ty- 
121 


JERUSALEM 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JERUSALEM 


ropceon,  which  leads  up  to  the  Damascus 
gate;  and  then,  proceeding  southward, 
joined  the  fortress  Antonia.  Tlie  points  de- 
scribed by  Josephus  in  the  course  of  this 
wall  have  not  been  identified,  and  have 
given  rise  to  sharp  disputes,  as  the  course 
of  this  wall  goes  far  towards  deciding  the 
true  site  of  Calvary.  John  19  :  20 ;  Luke  23  : 
33.  The  third  wall  was  built  by  King 
Herod  Agrippa;  and  was  intended  to  en- 
close the  suburbs  on  the  northern  sides  of 
the  city,  which  before  this  had  been  left 


Extent— After  describing  the  walls,  Jo- 
sephus adds  that  the  whole  circumference 
of  the  citv  was  33  stadia,  or  nearly  four 
EngUsh  miles,  which  is  as  near  as  may  be 
the  extent  indicated  by  the  localities.  He 
then  adds  that  the  number  of  towers  in  the 
old  wall  was  60,  the  middle  wall  40,  and  the 
new  wall  99.  Jerusalem  of  to-day  as  wall ed 
in  would  require  about  an  hour  to  walk 
around  it.  The  walls,  measuring  straight 
from  point  to  point,  are  about  12,000  feet  in 
length  ;  the  north  wall  being  3930  feet,  the 
east  wall  2754  feet,  the  south  wall  3245  feet, 
and  the  west  wall  2086  feet.  The  area  in 
the  present  city  is  about  210  acres.  The 
ancient  citv  included  the  southern  slopes 
of  Zion  and  Ophel,  which  in  modern  times 
have  been  under  cultivation,  thus  fulfilling 
the  prediction,  "Zion  shall  be  ploughed 
like  a  field."  Jer.  26 :  18. 

The  Pools  of  Gihon,  Siloam,  Hezekiah, 
Bethesda,  Eu-rogel,  etc.,  will  be  noticed 
under  tlieir  proper  titles. 

The  king's  garden,  Neh.  3  :  15,  was  prob- 
ably outside  the  city  at  the  south,  as  Geth- 
semane,  Matt.  26 :  36,  was  eastward  at  the 
foot  of  the  Mount  of  Ohves.  Of  the  various 
so-called  streets,  as  the  "east  street,"  R.V., 
"  the  broad  place  on  the  east,"  2  Chron.  29  : 
4 ;  the  "  street  of  the  city,"  i.  e.,  the  city  of 
David,  R.  V.,  "  broad  place  at  the  gate  of 
the  city,"  2  Chron.  32:6;  the  "street,"  R. 
v.,  "broad  place  facing  the  water  gate," 
Neh.  8 : 1,  3,  or,  according  to  the  parallel 
account  in  1  Esdr.  9 :  38,  the  "  broad  place  of 
the  temple  towards  the  east;"  the  "street 
of  the  house  of  God,"  Ezra  10 : 9,  R.  V., 
"  broad  place  ; "  the  "  street,"  R.  V.,  "  broad 
place  of  the  gate  of  Ephraim,"  Neh  8 :  16 ; 
and  the  "  open  place  of  the  first  gate  toward 
the  east "  could  not  have  been  "  streets,"  in 
our  sense  of  the  word,  but  rather  open 
spaces  found  in  eastern  towns  near  the 
inside  of  the  gates.  Streets,  properly  so 
called,  there  were,  however,  Jer.  5:1;  11 : 
13,  etc. ;  but  the  name  of  only  one,  "  the 
bakers'  street,"  Jer.  ;37  :  21,  is  preserved  tons. 
History.— Only  a  brief  notice  of  its  history 
can  be  given.  We  catch  our  earliest  ghmpse 
of  Jerusalem  in  Josh.  10  : 1,  and  in  Judg.  1, 
which  describes  how  the  "children  of  Ju- 
dah  smote  it  with  the  edge  of  the  sword, 
and  set  the  city  on  fire;"  and  almost  the 
latest  mention  of  it  in  the  New  Testament 
is  contained  in  the  solemn  warnings  in 
Avhich  Christ  foretold  how  Jerusalem  should 
be  "compassed  with  armies,"  Luke  21 :  20, 
and  the  "abomination  of  desolation"  be 
seen  standing  in  the  Holy  Place,  Matt.  24  : 
"15.  In  the  15  centuries  which  elapsed  be- 
122 


tween  those  two  periods,  the  city  was  be- 
sieged no  fewer  than  17  times ;  twice  it  was 
razed  to  the  ground;  and  on  two  other 
occasions  its  walls  were  levelled.    In  this 
respect  it  stands  without  a  parallel  in  any 
city,  ancient  or  modem.    David  captured 
the  city,  b.  c.  1046,  and  made  it  his  capital, 
fortified  and  enlarged  it.  2  Sam.  5:7;  6 : 
2-16  ;   1  Kings  11  :  36.     Solomon  adorned 
the  city  with  beautiful  buildings,  including 
the  temple,  but  made  no  additions  to  its 
walls.    1  Kings  7  :  2-7 ;  8 ;  10 : 7 ;  2  Chron. 
9  : 1-12.    The  city  was  taken  by  the  PhiUs- 
tinesand  Arabians  in  the  reign  of  Jehoram, 
B.  c.  886,  and  by  the  Israelites  in  the  reign 
of  Amaziah,  B.  c.  826.    The  books  of  Kings 
and  of  Chronicles  give  the  history  of  Jeru- 
salem under  the  monarchy.    It  was  thrice 
taken  bv  Nebuchadnezzar,"  in  the  years  b. 
c.  607,  597,  and  586,  in  the  last  of  which  it 
was  utterly  destroyed.    Its  restoration  com- 
menced under  Cyrus,  b.  c.  536,  and  was 
completed  under  Artaxerxes  I.,  who  issued 
commissions  for  tliis  purpose  to  Ezra,  b.  c. 
457,  and  Nehemiah,  b.  c.  445.    Neh.  4  :  7-22 ; 
6 : 1-16.     In  B.  c.  332  it  was  captured  by 
Alexander  the  Great,  and  again  under  An- 
tiochus  Epiphanes,  B.  c.  170.     Under  the 
Maccabees  Jerusalem  became  independent 
and  retained  its  position  until  its  capture 
by  the  Romans  under  Pompey,  B.  c.  63. 
The  temple  was  subsequently  plundered 
by  Crassus,  B.  c.  54,  and  the  city  by  the 
Parthians,  b.  c.  40.    Herod  took  up  his  resi- 
dence there,  and  restored  the  temple  with 
great  magnificence.    It  was  taken  and  de- 
stroyed by  the  Romans  under  Titus,  when 
it  had  held  out  nearly  five  months,  a.  d.  70, 
fulfilhng     Christ's    prophecy,     Matt.     24. 
Hadrian  restored  it  as  a  Roman  colon5%  a. 
D.  1:35.     The  emperor  Constantine  erected 
a  church  on  tl\e  supposed  site  of  the  holy 
sepulchre,  a.  d.  336,  and  Justinian  added 
several  churches  and  hospitals,  about  a.  d. 
532.    It  was  taken  bv  the  Persians  under 
Chosroes  II.  in  a.  d.*614.     In  A.  D.  637  the 
patriarch   Sophronius   surrendered  to  the 
khalif  Omar,  and  the  Holy  City  passed 
into  the  hands  of  the  Fatimite  dynasty. 
About  1084  it  was  bestowed  upon  Ortok, 
whose  severity  to  the  Christians  became  the 
proximate  cause  of  the  Crusades.    It  was 
taken  by  the  Crusaders  in  1099,  and  for  88 
years  Jerusalem  remained  in  the  hands  of 
the  Christians.  In  1187  it  was  retaken  by  Sal- 
adin  after  a  siege  of  several  weeks.    In  1277 
Jerusalem  was  nominally  annexed  to  the 
kingdom  of  Sicily.    In  1517  it  passed  under 
the  sway  of  the  Ottoman  sultan  Selim  I., 
whose  successor,  Suliman,  built  the  present 
walls  of  the  city  in  1542.    Mohammed  Ali, 
the  pasha  of  Egypt,  took  possession  of  it 
in  1832 ;  and  in  1840,  after  the  bombardment 
of  Acre,  it  was  again  restored  to  the  sultan 
and  has  since  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
Turks.    A  steam  railway  was  opened  from 
Jaffa  f  Joppa)  to  Jerusalem  in  October,  1892. 
Population.— It  is  estimated  that  modern 
Jerusalem  has  from  50,000  to  75,000  inhabi- 
tants, of  whom  12.  000  are  Mohammedans, 
8000  Christians,  and  25,000  to  30,000  (Conder 
says  40,000)  Jews,  nearly  30,000  depending 
largely  for  their  living  upon  benevolent 


JESHURUN 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JESSE 


gifts  from  religious  brethren  elsewhere.  The 
population  of  Jerusalem  in  ancient  times 
probably  did  not  exceed  75,000  at  any 
period  of  Bible  histoiy. 

Recent  Explorations.— Besieged  17  times, 
twice  destroyed,  ancient  Jerusalem  is  now 
buried  under  80  feet  of  earth  and  rubbish. 
Of  the  explorations  and  present  condition 
of  the  city,  Selah  Merrill,  United  States 
consul  at  Jerusalem  (in  Jackson's  concise 
Dictionary),  says :  "  One  would  suppose 
that  in  a  place  like  Jerusalem,  which  has 
always  been  a  centre  of  special  interest, 
there  would  be  many  remains  of  antiquity 
and  a  large  number  of  historical  sites  whose 
genuineness  no  person  would  question. 
The  truth  is  just  the  contrary  of  this.  Very 
many  things  are  doubtless  buried  which 
will,  from  time  to  time,  be  brought  to  light, 
as  has  been  the  case  during  the  past  25 
years.  Thanks  to  recent  excavations,  cer- 
taui  points  and  objects  have  been  recovered 
which  may  be  accepted  as  authentic  be- 
yond dispute.  Thus  we  have  the  actual 
site  of  the  Herodian  temple,  together  with 
portions  of  the  wall  which  supported  its 
area,  also  the  remains  of  a  bridge  of  the 
same  period  which  led  from  the  temple  to 
Mount  Zion.  We  have  the  point  of  the  na- 
tive rock  over  which  the  altar  was  built, 
and  from  this  are  able  to  determine  the 
site  of  the  Holy  of  HoUes.  We  can  point 
to  the  spot  where  the  castle  of  Antonia 
stood,  and  thus  fix  the  eastern  terminus  of 
the '  second  wall.'  "  Near  the  Jatfa  gate  Dr. 
Merrill "  discovered,  in  1885,  a  section  of  this 
wall,  whose  position  has  been  so  long  in 
dispute.  One  hundred  and  twenty  feet  of 
it  were  exposed,  consisting  of  one,  two,  and 
in  a  single  place  of  three  layers  of  massive 
stones,  and  from  this  the  position  of  the 
Gennath  Gate  can  be  determined  within  a 
few  yards.  The  lower  portion  of  the  so- 
called  '  Castle  of  David '  belongs  to  the 
time  of  Herod,  if  not  to  an  earher  period. 
In  the  northwest  corner  of  the  city  the 
foundations  of  one  of  the  great  towei-s  of 
ancient  Jerusalem  have  been  uncovered, 
and  massive  work  of  the  same  age  is  found 
at  the  Damascus  Gate.  Under  the  mo.sque 
El  Aksa  are  the  columns  of  the  Double 
Gate  and  the  Porch  belonging  to  it.  through 
which  our  Lord  must  have  often  entered 
the  temple.  There  is  no  question  about 
the  valleys  Hinnom,  Jehoshaphat,  and  the 
Tyropoeah,  or  the  pool  of  Siloam.  The  rock- 
cut  conduit,  leading  for  1700  feet  under 
Ophel,  connecting  the  Pool  of  Siloam  with 
the  Virgin's  Fountain,  in  which  the  Siloam 
inscription  was  discovered  in  1880,  dates 
from  the  time  of  the  Hebrew  kings.  North 
of  the  city  we  have  the  tomb  of  Helena, 
the  mother  of  Izates,  built  in  the  last  cen- 
tury before  Christ ;  and  there  are  a  few 
other  objects,  as  the  Tomb  of  Absalom  and 
that  of  Jehoshaphat,  which  certainly  be- 
long to  ancient  times,  but  whose  exact  date 
cannot  be  detennined."  The  old  Pool  of 
Bethesda  was  lately  discovered  bv  Conrad 
Schick,  under  the  Church  of  St.  Anne.  Be- 
yond tliese,  our  knowledge  of  the  various 
places  in  ancient  Jerusalem,  noticed  in  the 
Bible  and  Josephus,  is  indefinite  if  not  cha- 


otic. Jerusalem  is  not  a  centre  of  trade, 
and  it  has  few  manufactures  or  business  by 
which  wealth  can  be  acquired.  Money- 
changers are  numerous  because  people  from 
many  other  countries  are  found  there,  most 
of  whom  bring  with  them  coin  that  is  not 
current  in  the  city.  Shopkeepers  are  sel- 
dom able  to  make  change  themselves,  and 
it  is  understood  that  the  purchaser  must 
come  prepared  to  pay  the  exact  amount  of 
his  purchase.  Upward  of  40  different  lan- 
guages and  dialects  are  spoken  in  Jerusa- 
lem. Society  is  of  a  low  order.  The  peo- 
ple are  slow  to  adapt  themselves  to  new 
conditions.  There  is,  however,  reason 
to  hope  for  improvement  under  better  , 
religious  and  educational  influences,  and  ' 
under  a  wise  and  helpful  government. 

In  Scripture  and  Prophecy.  Jerusalem  is 
named  799  times  in  the  Bible,  and  many 
times  alluded  to  in  sacred  history  and  proph- 
ecv.  Its  strength  and  beauty  are  no- 
ticed, Ps.  48 :  2, 11-13 ;  122  : 2-5 ;  its  peace  is 
prayed  for,  Ps.  51 :  18 ;  122  :  6-8 ;  its  glory 
noticed,  Ps.  87  : 1-6.  The  siege  and  desola- 
tion of  the  citv  for  sins  were  predicted,  Isa. 
29  : 1-3  ;  27 : 10 ;  Jer.  4  :  11 ;  19  :  8 ;  21  :  10 ; 
22  :  28,  31 ;  especially  its  destruction  by  the 
Chaldeans.  Jer.  13  :  9,  18 ;  34  :  22 ;  Ezek.  24 : 
2 ;  Amos  2  : 5.  These  predictions  were  lit- 
erallv  fulfilled.  See  1  Kings  14  :  25,  26  ;  Jer. 
51 :  50,  51 ;  Lam.  2 :  13  ;  5 :  11-22.  Its  preser- 
vation and  restoration  at  times  promised 
and  performed,  2  Kings  19 :  10 ;  2  Chron. 
32  :  9-20 ;  Isa.  37  :  17,  20,  33-35 ;  Ps.  69  :  35, 
where  it  is  called  Zion :  compare  Isa.  11 :  9, 
10  ;  Jer.  31 : 1,  4,  38-10 ;  Zech.  8  : 3-5.  Again 
its  destruction  bythe  Romans  was  predicted, 
Zech.  14  : 2 :  Luke  19  :  41-44 ;  and  21 :  9,  10, 
20,  24 ;  and  Josephus'  description  of  the 
siege  and  destruction  of  the  city  under 
Titus  (Wars,  Bk.  vi.)  shows  how  terrible  was 
the  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy  of  Christ. 
It  is  still  the  "  Sacred  City,"  however,  to 
the  Jew,  the  Christian,  arid  the  Moslem, 
hallowed  by  the  footsteps  and  suflFerings  of 
the  Son  of  God. 

J  e  s  li  u  r  u  n  (jSsh'u-run  or  je-shu'run), 
happy,  and  once  in  A.  V.  Jesurun,  Isa.  44 : 
2,  a  svmbolical  name  for  Israel  in  Deut.  32  : 
15  ;  33 : 5,  26  ;  Isa.  44  :  2.  It  is  most  proba- 
bly derived  from  a  root  signifying  "to  be 
blessed." 

Jesse  (jls'se),  ivealthy.  The  father  of 
David,  the  son  of  Obed,  and  grandson  of 
Boaz  and  the  Moabitess  Ruth.  He  was  also 
a  descendant  of  Rahab  the  Canaanite,  of 
Jericho.  Matt.  1 : 5.  Jesse's  genealogy  is 
twice  given  in  full  in  the  Old  Testament, 
viz.,  Ruth  4 :  18-22  and  1  Chron.  2  :  5-12. 
He  is  commonly  designated  as  "  Jesse,  the 
Bethlehemite,"  1  Sam.  16  : 1,  18 ;  17  :  58 ;  but 
his  full  title  is  "the  Ephrathite  of  Bethle- 
hem Judah."  1  Sam.  17  :  12.  He  was  an 
"  old  man  "  when  noticed  in  1  Sam.  17  :  12, 
with  eight  sons,  1  Sam.  16:10:  17  :  12,  re- 
siding at  Bethlehem.  ISam.  16:4, 5.  Jesse's 
wealth  seems  to  have  consisted  of  sheep 
and  goats,  which  were  under  the  care  of 
David.  1  Sam.  16  :  11  :  17  :  34,  35.  After 
David  was  compelled  to  leave  the  court 
of  Saul,  he  took  his  father  and  his 
mother  into  the  country  of  Moab,  and 
123 


JESUS  CHRIST 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JESUS  CHRIST 


there  thev  disappear  from  the  records  of 
Scripture,  b.  c.  1068-61. 

Jesus  Christ.  The  name  of  the  Sa- 
viour, signifying  his  work  and  authority ; 
Jesus  (the  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew 
Joshua)  means  Jehovah  saves,  or  Saviour. 
Matt.  1  :  21.  Christ  (the  Greek  translation 
of  the  Hebrew  Messiah)  means  anointed. 
Jesus  was  his  common  name  during  his 
life  on  earth,  generally  used  in  the  gospels. 
Christ  is  his  official  name,  freqviently  used 
alone  or  with  Jesus  in  the  epistles.  Jesus 
occurs  in  the  Bible  711  times;  Christ  304 
times ;  Jesus  Christ,  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
Christ  Jesus  (anointed  Saviour),  244  times, 
and  Messiah  4  times.  He  has  many  other 
titles  and  names  in  Scripture,  as  "  Imman- 
uel,"  Matt.  1:2;?;  "  Son  of  God,"  John  1 : 
34 ;  "  Son  of  man,"  John  8 :  28 ;  "  Son  of  Da- 
vid," etc.,  Mark  10:47,  48;  in  all,  upwards 
of  100  titles,  indicating  his  character,  life, 
and  work. 

The  predictions  concerning  Christ  were 
many— about  150  or  more— and  were  made 
at  various  periods  of  Old  Testament  history. 
He  was  to  be  born  in  Bethlehem,  a  small 
village,  ]\Iicah  5:2;  he  was  to  be  a  king 
with  a  universal  and  perpetual  empire,  Ps. 
2:6;  45  : 2-7  ;  72 ;  Isa.  9  :  6,  7  ;  yet  would  be 
despised  and  rejected.  Isa.  53.  He  was  to 
open  the  eyes  of"  the  bhnd  and  the  eai-s  of 
the  deaf,  Isa.  35  : 5,  6,  and  yet  to  be  betrayed, 
sold  and  slain  and  his  grave  appointed 
with  the  wicked.  Yet  his  sufferings  should 
make  manv  righteous.  Isa.  11  : 1-9 ;  60  : 1- 
11.  He  was  to  do  the  work  of  a  prophet, 
Isa.  42 : 1-7  :  of  a  priest,  Ps.  110  : 4  ;  Zech.  6  : 
13 ;  and  of  a  king.  Dan.  7 :  14.  These  pre- 
dictions, and  manv  others  of  like  nature, 
were  all  fulfilled  in  Jesus  the  Son  of  Mary. 

He  is  the  centre  of  all  Jewish  and  Chris- 
tian historv:  the  "Holy  of  Holies"  in  the 
histon^  of  the  world.  There  is  space  here 
for  the  briefest  outline  only  of  his  human 
life,  his  mysterious  person,  and  his  work. 

His  Life.— While  Augustus  was  emperor 
of  Rome,  and  Herod  the  Great  king  in  Je- 
rusalem, Jesus  was  born  four  years  before 
1  A.  D.,  the  Christian  era  having  been  fixed 
by  Dionysius  Exiguus  of  the  sixth  cen- 
tury, four  years  too  late.  Mary,  a  virgin, 
betrothed  to  Joseph  of  Nazareth,  gave  birth 
to  Jesus  at  Bethlehem  according  to  Micah's 
prophecy.  Micah  5  : 2.  AngeLs  celebrated 
it  with  songs,  and  wise  men  from  the  East 
brought  prebioas  gifts  to  the  new-born  babe. 
To  escape  Herod's  threats,  the  child  Jesus 
was  taken  to  Egypt,  but  later  settled  with 
his  parents  at  Nazareth.  Only  one  event 
of  his  childhood  is  known— a  visit  when  12 
years  old  to  Jerusalem,  when  he  astonished 
the  doctors  by  his  words  and  questions.  He 
was  trained  as  other  Jewish  lads  of  his  sta- 
tion. At  three  the  boy  was  weaned,  and  wore 
for  the  first  time  the  fringed  or  tasselled  gar- 
ment prescribed"by  Num.  15 :  38-41  and  Deut. 
22  :  12.  His  education  began  at  first  under  the 
mother's  care.  At  five  he  was  to  learn  the 
law,  at  first  by  extracts  written  on  scrolls 
of  the  more  important  passages,  the  Shemd 
or  creed  of  Deut.  2:4;  the  Hallel  or  festival 
psalms,  Ps.  114,  118,  136,  and  by  catechet- 
ical teaching  in  school.  At  12  he  became 
124 


more  directly  responsible  for  his  obedience 
to  the  law ;  and  on  the  day  when  he  at- 
tained the  age  of  13,  put  on  for  the  first 
time  the  phylacteries  which  were  worn  at 
the  recital  of  his  dailj'  prayer.  In  addition 
to  this,  Jesus  learned  the  carpenter's  trade 
of  Joseph. 

Ministry.— His  public  ministry'  is  usuaUy 
regarded  as  lasting  upwards  of  three  years. 
John  records  more  of  the  Judsean  ministry, 
Luke  more  of  his  Persean  ministry,  while 
Matthew  and  ]Mark  give  his  Galilean  min- 
istry, as  does  Luke  also.  John  the  Baptist, 
in  the  fifteenth  year  of  Tiberius,  Luke  3 : 1, 
produced  a  deep  impression  by  preaching 
repentance.  Jesus  sought  baptism  at  his 
hands,  and  was  tempted  of  the  devil.  He 
then  went  to  Cana  of  Galilee,  where  he 
worked  his  first  miracle  at  a  wedding.  With 
some  disciples,  he  set  out  for  Jerusalem  to 
keep  the  pavssover.  His  first  work  was  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple  from  traffickers  and 
money-changers — which  he  repeated  near 
the  close  of  his  ministry.  Matt.  21 :  12.  He 
received  a  visit  by  night  from  Nicodemus. 
Presentlythe  Baptist  was  thrown  into  prison 
and  the  "Saviour  withdrew  to  Galilee,  On 
his  way  through  Samaria  he  conversed  with 
a  woman  at  Jacob's  well.  At  Nazareth  he 
was  rejected  by  the  people,  and  went  to 
Capernaum,  which  henceforth  became  "  his 
own  city."  Here  he  called  Peter  and  An- 
drew arid  James  and  John,  and  made  his 
first  tour  through  Galilee,  performing  many 
miracles.  Early  in  the  second  year  of  his 
ministrv  Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to  a 
feast  oi  the  Jews,  John  5 : 1,  and  healed  a 
lame  man  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda,  ex- 
plained the  right  use  of  the  Sabbath,  a  sub- 
ject which  he  resumed  when  his  disciples 
were  yj^ucking  ears  of  corn  on  his  return 
to  Galilee.  When  he  reached  the  Sea  of 
Galilee  multitudes  followed  him.  He  ap- 
jMDinted  the  twelve  apostles  and  dehvered 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  commenced 
a  second  tour  in  Galilee,  during  which  he 
delivered  the  series  of  parables  in  Matt.  13, 
stilled  the  storm  on  Galilee,  healed  the  de- 
moniacs of  Gadara,  raised  the  daughter  of 
Jairus,  and  after  other  miracles  came  again 
to  Nazareth,  where  he  was  again  rejected. 
He  then  made  a  third  tour  in  Galilee,  and 
sent  forth  the  apostles,  giving  the  instruc- 
tions recorded  in  Matt.  10 :  11.  After  an  in- 
terval of  some  months  the  twelve  returned, 
and  with  them  he  retired  to  the  Sea  of  Gal- 
ilee, fed  the  5000,  walked  on  the  water,  and 
delivered  his  sermon  on  the  bread  of  life, 
John  6,  in  the  synagogue  at  Capernaum. 
Early  in  the  third  year  of  his  ministry, 
Jesus  disputed  with  the  Pharisees  about  eat- 
ing with  unwashed  hands,  and  went  toward 
the  northwest,  healed  the  daughter  of  the 
Syrophoenician  woman,  and  then  passed 
around  to  Decapolis,  wdiere  he  wrought 
many  miracles  and  fed  4000.  Near  Casarea 
Phili'ppi  Peter  made  his  confession  of  fiiith, 
and  then  Jesus  foretold  his  own  death  and 
resurrection  and  the  trials  of  his  followers. 
The  transfiguration  followed,  and  the  next 
morning  the  healing  of  an  epileptic  child. 
On  the  way  back  to  Capernaum  he  again 
foretold  his  sufferings,  and  exhorted  tke 


JETHRO 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JEW 


disciples  to  humilitj'-,  forbearance,  and 
brotherly  love.  About  this  time  he  in- 
structed and  sent  out  the  70  on  their  mis- 
sion. Then  he  left  Galilee,  and  having 
cleansed  ten  lepers  came  to  Jerusalem  at 
the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  John  7  : 2.  Here 
he  taught  in  public,  and  answered  a  law- 
yer's question  with  the  parable  of  the  Good 
Samaritan.  The  healing  of  the  man  born 
blind  led  to  a  long  discourse,  which  aroused 
the  rulers,  and  Jesus  retired  beyond  Jor- 
dan. In  Periea,  on  his  way  to  Jerusalem, 
lie  uttered  the  parables  of  the  lost  sheep, 
the  unjust  steward,  the  rich  man  and  Laz-  | 
arus,  and  the  pharisee  and  the  publican  ; 
gave  precepts  concerning  divorce ;  blessed 
little  children ;  taught  the  rich  young  ruler. 
He  raised  Lazarus  at  Bethany.  A  third  lime 
he  foretold  his  death  and  resurrection,  and 
approaching  Jericho  healed  blind  men, 
called  Zacchaius,  and  gave  the  parable  of 
the  pounds.  He  arrived  at  Bethany  six 
days  before  the  passover.  At  supper,  in 
Simon's  house,  he  is  anointed.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  the  last  week  before  the  cruci- 
fixion Jesus  made  a  public  entry  into  the 
city,  spoke  parables  and  warnings,  lamented 
over  Jerusalem,  praised  the  widow's  mite, 
met  certain  Greeks  and  predicted  his  sec- 
ond coming  with  solemn  warnings  con- 
firmed by  the  parables  of  the  ten  virgins, 
the  five  talents,  and  the  sheep  and  the 
goats.  At  the  last  or  fourth  passover  with 
the  twelve,  Jesus  instituted  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per, delivered  his  farewell  discourses,  and 
withdrew  to  Gethsemane.  After  the  agony 
in  the  garden  he  was  arrested  and  in  the 
night  brought  before  Annas,  and  then  Cai- 
aphasand  the  Sanhedrin,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing before  Pilate  and  Herod.  Pilate  yielded 
to  the  Jews,  delivered  Jesus  to  be  mocked 
and  crucified.  He  was  buried  and  a  watch 
set  upon  the  tomb.  On  the  morning  of  the 
third  day  the  tomb  was  found  empty,  and 
soon  he  appeared  to  the  women,  then  to 
the  disciples,  who  could  hardly  believe  the 
fact.  During  40  days  he  taught  them,  and 
then,  near  Bethany,  ascended  to  heaven  in 
their  sight. 

Mysterious  Person. — ^The  great  peculiarity 
of  the  Scripture  doctrine  of  the  person  of 
Christ  is  that  he  is  God  and  man  united, 
two  natures  forming  one  personality.  "  He 
is  not  divine  alone,  nor  human  alone,  but 
divine-human."  He  is  the  Eternal  Word, 
John  1,  the  Son  of  God,  and  he  is  also  the 
Son  of  man.  Mark  11  :  13.  This  may  be 
difficult  for  us  to  comprehend ;  but  if  a 
finite  mind  could  comprehend  the  whole 
of  Christ's  nature,  Christ  could  not  be  the 
infinite  God  he  is  declared  to  be.  John 
1:4. 

Work  and  Offices  of  CJirisf.— These  are 
usually  presented  as  threefold.  The  Bible 
and  Evangelical  creeds  describe  the  Media- 
tor as  a  prophet,  priest,  and  king.  As  prophet 
he  perfectly  reveals  the  will  of  the  Father 
to  man  ;  as  priest  he  is  the  perfect  offering 
for  sin,  procuring  redemption  for  all  who 
will  accept  of  it ;  as  king,  he  is  and  will 
become  rightful  ruler  and  judge  of  this 
world,  and  be  exalted  above  every  name 
that  is  named,  putting  all  things  under  him, 


receiving  the  praises  of  all  created  intelli- 
gences. 

Jethro  ijc'thro  ovjUh'ro),  his  excellence.  A 
priest  or  prince  of  Midiaii,  and  father-in- 
law  of  Moses.  Ex.  3:1.  He  is  called  Ra- 
guel  (R.  V.  "Reuel"),  Num.  10:29,  and 
Reuel,  Ex.  2  :  18,  and  was  probably  known 
by  either  name,  while  Jethro  was  his  offi- 
cial title.  It  is  highly  probable,  too,  that  he 
was  a  descendant  of  Abraham  by  Keturah, 
tlie  mother  of  Midian,  Gen.  25  : 2 ;  but  what 
was  the  nature  of  his  office  as  priest— or 
prince,  as  some  say  it  should  be  rendered— 
we  know  not. 

Jew.  2  Kings  16:6.  A  name  applied  first 
to  men  of  Judah.  The  most  common  title 
for  Jews  in  the  Old  Testament  is  "  Israel " 
or  "  Israelites,"  but  in  the  New  Testament 
"Jews"  is  most  frequently  used.  The 
terms  "Israel"  and  "Israelites"  occur 'in 
Scriptures  about  2460  times;  "Jew"  and 
"Jews"  about  275  times,  and  "Hebrew" 
or  "Hebrews"  about  50  times.  "Jew"  is 
a  broader  title  than  Hebrews,  as  it  may  in- 
clude Hellenists,  Greek  proselytes  who  be- 
came Jews,  Acts  6:1;  24  :  18,  and  less  spe- 
cific than  Israelites.  See  John  1 :  47  ;  2  Cor. 
11  :  22. 

Hebrew  is  probably  from  Eber,  a  He- 
brew word  meaning  "to  pass  over,"  and 
the  name  of  an  ancestor  of  Abram,  Gen.  10  : 
24  ;  11 :  13.  Abram  is  first  called  "  the  He- 
brew" in  Gen.  14:13.  The  Egyptians, 
Gen.  39  :  14:  41 :  12,  and  the  Philisrines,  1 
Sam.  4  :  6,  knew  the  people  by  this  title. 
But  they  sometimes  use  it  of  themselves, 
but  only  when  foreigners  are  thought  of. 
Gen.  40  :  15  ;  Ex.  2  :  7.  The  favorite  name 
was  "Israelites,"  and  after  the  captivity 
the  title  "  Jews"  came  into  vogue,  but  the 
title  "  Hebrews  "  was  still  used  for  the  more 
strict  Jews,  who  preferred  the  Hebre^v  lan- 
guage, in  distinction  from  the  Hellenists  or 
Grecian  Jews.  The  Hebrew  people  were 
descended  directly  from  Abram,  Gen.  12: 
1,  through  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  are  fre- 
quently called  the  "seed  of  Abraham,"  Ps. 
105  :  6  {  John  8  :  37,  or  "  children  of  Abra- 
ham," Gal.  3  :  7,  or  "children  of  Israel," 
Ex.  1  :  13.  God,  to  carry  out  his  purpose 
and  preserve  his  church,  called  Abraham 
to  leave  his  father's  house  and  his  country, 
and  separated  him  and  his  household  from 
the  rest  of  mankind ;  gave  him  special 
promises,  made  covenants  with  him,  and 
constituted  him  the  "  Father  of  the  Faith- 
ful" to  the  world.  From  that  time,  for 
two  thousand  years,  the  visible  church  of 
God  was  confined  to  the  family  of  this 
man :  and  for  fifteen  centuries  the  history 
of  this  family  is  the  only  sacred  history  of 
the  world.  During  fifty  generations  of  the 
children  of  Adam  the  family  of  this  man, 
or  rather  the  descendants  of  a  part  of  it, 
"  elected  according  to  the  purpose  of  God," 
Rom.  9  :  11.  enjoyed  exclusive  privileges ; 
to  the  Israehtes"  alone  "pertaineth  the  adop- 
tion, and  the  glory,  and  the  covenants,  and 
the  giving  of  the  law,  and  the  service  o'' 
God,  and  the  promises,  whose  are  the  fa- 
thers, and  of  whom  as  concerning  the  flesh 
Christ  came,  who  is  over  all,  God  blessed 
forever.  Amen."  Rom.  9  :  45.  They  were 
125 


JEW 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JEZEBEL 


separated  from  the  world  by  most  stringent 
laws  ;  and  it  was  necessary  during  all  that 
time  for  the  rest  of  mankind,  through 
the  Jews,  to  learn  the  way  to  be  saved. 
The  darkness  of  death  overshadowed  all 
other  lands.  Thanks  be  to  God !  when  the 
fullness  of  time  was  come,  when  salvation 
was  completed  by  the  life,  death,  and  res- 
urrection of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
reservoir  of  truth  was  thus  filled,  the  gates 
were  opened ;  and  the  command  was  given 
to  the  church  to  go  forth  and  to  proclaim 
the  glad  tidings  of  salvation  to  all  nations 
and  to  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature. 
"The  gospel  preached  unto  Abraham," 
before  the  giving  of  the  law:  "In  thee 
shall  all  nations  be  blessed"  was  the  first 
proclamation  "  that  God  would  justify  the 
heathen  through  faith."  Gal.  3  :  8.  Noth- 
ing can  more  conclusively  show  the  hand 
of  God  in  directing  the  history  of  the 
world,  and  in  controlling  the  affairs  of  na- 
tions, than  the  prophecies  and  the  facts 
connected  with  the  liistory  of  Abraham  and 
of  his  descendants.  Two  thousand  years 
after  the  promise  was  made  to  him  ;  in  thy 
seed  shall  all  the  famihes  and  all  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth  be  blessed.  Gen.  12  :  3  ; 
18  :  18;  22  :  18.  It  was  fulfilled  in  the  ad- 
vent of  the  Son  of  God,  born  of  the  seed  of 
Abraham.  The  fearful  prophecies  of  God 
concerning  the  descendants  of  Abraham, 
littered  before  they  entered  the  promised 
Jand,  have  been  continually  in  progress  of 
fulfillment  to  the  letter.  The  Jews  have 
not  only  undergone  the  horrors  of  the 
siege  and  the  loss  of  their  country,  so 
graphically  foretold  and  described  in  the 
28th  chapter  of  Deuteronomy;  but  they 
are,  at  this  day,  living  witnesses  to  the 
truth  of  God's"  word.  More  than  three 
thousand  years  ago,  while  on  a  conquering 
march,  with  visions  of  glory  before  them, 
thev  were  warned  of  their  future  apostacy, 
and  were  told  of  the  judgments  that  would 
fall  upon  them  and  upon  their  land.  It 
was  said  to  them,  "Thou  shalt  become  an 
astonishment,  a  proverb  and  a  by-word 
among  all  nations,  whither  the  Lord  shall 
lead  thee."  Deut.  28:  37.  "These  curses 
shall  be  upon  thee  for  a  sign  and  for  a 
Avonder,  and  upon  thy  seed."  Deut.  28  : 
45,  46.  "  The  Lord  shall  scatter  thee  among 
all  people,  from  the  one  end  of  the  earth 
even  unto  the  other;  .  .  .  and  among 
these  nations  shalt  thou  find  no  ease,  nei- 
ther shall  the  sole  of  thvfoot  have  rest." 
Deut.  28  :  64,  65.  This  has  been  literally 
the  sad  lot  of  this  wonderful  people  for  the 
last  eighteen  hundred  years.  Besides  these 
foretold  judgments  upon  the  Jews  there 
are  also  in  the  word  of  God  promises  of 
blessings  yet  to  be  enjoyed  by  them.  In 
some  of  these  the  world  has  an  interest. 
While  telling  the  Israelites  of  the  woes  that 
should  come  upon  them,  God  added  :  "And 
yet,  for  all  that,  when  they  be  in  the  land 
of  their  enemies,  I  will  not  cast  them  away, 
neither  will  I  abhor  them,  to  destroy  them 
utterly,  and  to  break  my  covenant  with 
them  :  for  I  am  the  Lord  their  God."  Lev. 
26  :  44.  We  are  told  "  Blindness  in  part  is 
happened  to  Israel,  until  the  fulness  of  the 
12f 


Gentiles  be  come  in.  And  so  all  Israel 
shall  be  saved  :  as  it  is  written,  There  shall 
come  out  of  Sion  the  Deliverer,  and  shall 
turn  away  ungodUness  from  Jacob."  Rom. 
11  :  25.  Paul  tells  us,  "Through  their  fall 
salvation  is  come  unto  the  Gentiles."  Rom. 
11 :  11.  And  he  informs  us  that  the  world  is 
again  to  be  indebted  to  the  Jews ;  he  says  : 
"Now  if  the  fall  of  them  be  the  riches' of 
the  world  and  the  diminishing  of  them  the 
riches  of  the  Gentiles ;  how  much  more 
their  fulness?  "  Rom.  11  :  11,  12.  The  res- 
toration and  conversion  of  the  Jews  is  thus 
connected  with  the  great  ingathering  of  all 
nations  into  the  Church  of  Christ ;  and  the 
time  of  this  is  at  hand.  The  Jews  by  their 
talents  and  industry  exert  great  influence 
among  Christian  nations.  They  have  long 
been  the  great  bankers  of  the  world.  The 
Rothschild  family  with  its  immense  wealth 
has  controlled  the  money  market.  The  Jews 
have  furnished  great  scholars  and  states- 
men. Neander,  the  church  historian,  and 
Stahl,  the  jurist,  were  converted  Jews ;  the 
great  musicians,  Mendelssohn,  Meyerbeer, 
Spinoza,  Edersheim  and  Lord  Beaconsfield, 
were  of  Jewish  extraction.  They  have 
distinguished  themselves  in  all  the  occupa- 
tions except  agriculture  and  manufactures. 
They  are  divided  into  orthodox  and  hberal 
or  reform  Jews,  who  differ  from  each  other 
as  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  of  old. 
The  former  prevail  in  Russia,  Poland  and 
the  East ;  the  latter  in  Germany  and  Amer- 
ica. Many  of  the  Jews  to-day  are  deists,  or 
rationalists.  The  number  of  Jews  in  the 
world  is  estimated  at  9,000,000,  of  whom 
50,000  hve  in  New  York  city,  where  they 
accumulate  great  M'ealth.  The  last  word 
of  Christ  and  the  apostles  concerning  this 
wonderful  people— which,  hke  the  burn- 
ing bush,  are  never  consumed— is  a  word 
of  promise  and  hope  that  their  blindness 
will  be  removed,  and  that  after  the  fulne.ss 
of  the  Gentiles  has  come  in  "all  Israel 
shall  be  saved."  Rom.  11  :  26.  We  are  in- 
debted to  the  Jews  for  our  knowledge  of 
God,  and  of  the  way  of  salvation.  All  of 
the  Scriptures  were  written  by  Jews.  Moses, 
the  prophets,  and  the  apostles  were  all 
Jews.  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord,  "  was  made 
of  the  seed  of  David  according  to  the  flesh ;" 
and  he  says  :  "Salvation  is  of  the  Jews." 
John  4  :  22. 

Jewry  {jew'ry).  a  word  elsewhere  ren- 
dered "Judah"  and  "Judsea."  It  occurs 
once  in  the  Old  Testament,  Dan.  5  :  13, 
where  it  is  rendered  "  Judah  "  in  the  R.  V., 
and  several  times  in  the  ApocrjTjhal  and 
New  Testament  books.  See  Judah  and 
Jiidfea. 

Jezebel  (jez'e-bSl),  chaste.  Isabella.  1. 
The  daughter  of  Ethbaal,  king  of  Tyre,  and 
wife  of  Ahab,  king  of  Israel,  infamous  for 
her  idolatry,  wickedness  and  cruel  perse- 
cution of  the  prophets  of  Jehovah.  She 
estabhshed  the  worship  of  Baal  and  other 
idols  in  the  kingdom  of  Israel.  1  Kings  18 : 
3-19.  When  Elijah  caused  450  prophets  of 
Baal  to  be  put  to  death  this  wicked  woman 
threatened  to  slay  Elijah,  but  he  escaped. 
Jezebel  planned  a'nd  executed  the  murder 
of  Naboth,  using  the  authority  and  name 


JEZREEL 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JOB 


of  the  king,  and  showing  her  remarkable 
influence  over  the  wicked  Ahab  and  over 
the  leading  men  in  the  kingdom.  1  Kings 
21 : 1-13.  Indeed,  her  character  throughout 
exhibits  her  as  a  remarkably  able  and 
decisive  but  impious  woman.  For  even 
after  Ahab's  death  she  maintained  the 
ascendency  over  her  son  Joram.  The  doom 
of  this  impious  queen  was  predicted  by  the 
prophet  EUjah,  and  was  in  due  time  visited 
upon  her  to  the  very  letter.  See  1  Kings 
21  :  23,  and  2  Kings  9  :  36,  37.  See  Ahab. 
2.  A  symbolical  name  of  a  \voman  in  the 
church  at  Thyaiira,  who  corrupted  the 
people ;  so  called  in  allusion  to  Ahab's 
idolatrous  wife.    Rev.  2  :  20-24. 

Jezreel  {jez're-el).  God  hath  planted.  1. 
A  city  in  the  plain  of  the  same  name  be- 
tween Gilboa  and  Little  Hermon.  It  was  a 
boundary  of  Issachar.  Josh.  19  :  18.  Ahab 
chose  it  for  his  chief  residence.  The  selec- 
tion shows  the  ability  of  this  wicked  king. 
Near  bv  were  a  temple  and  grove  of  Astarte, 
with  an  estabUshment  of  400  priests  sup- 
ported bv  Jezebel.  1  Kings  18  :  19 ;  2  Kings 
10  :  11.  The  palace  of  Ahab,  1  Kings  21  :  1, 
probably  containing  his  "  ivory  house,"  1 
Kings  22  :  39,  was  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
city.  Compare  1  Kings  21  : 1 :  2  Kings  9  : 
25,  30,  3:5.  Jezebel  lived  by  the  city  wall, 
and  had  a  high  window  facing  eastward. 
2  Kings  9  :  30.  It  had  a  watch-tower,  on 
which  a  sentinel  stood.  2  Kings  9  :  17. 
The  gateway  of  the  city  on  the  east  was 
also  the  gateway  of  the  palace.  2  Kings 
9  :  34.  .  The  \ineyard  of  Naboth  was  prob- 
ably on  the  vineclad  hill  outside  the  city 
to  the  eastward.  A  spring  near  is  now 
called  'Ai)i-Jalud,  or  the  "  Spring  of  GoU- 
ath,"  and  is  the  "  fountain  "  or  "  spring  "  in 
"Jezreel."  1  Sam.  29  : 1.  After  the  Ml  of 
the  house  of  Ahab,  Jezreel  also  fell  into  a 
decline.  It  is  now  a  miserable  village  of  a 
dozen  houses,  and  known  as  Zerin.  2.  A 
town  in  Judah,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the 
southern  Carmel.  Josh.  15  :  56.  Here  David 
in  his  wanderings  took  Ahinoam  the  Jez- 
reelitess  for  liis  second  wife.  1  Sam.  27  :  3 ; 
30:5. 

Jezreel,  Valley  of.  A  triangular  plain 
extending  from  the  Mediterranean  to  the 
Jordan,  and  from  the  ridge  of  Carmel  to 
the  mountains  in  Galilee.  It  is  about  25 
miles  long  from  east  to  west,  and  12  miles 
wide  from  north  to  south.  There  Barak 
and  Gideon  triumphed ;  Deborah  sung  her 
war  song ;  Saul  and  Jonathan  fell  near  by, 
on  the  mountains  of  Gilboa ;  here  king 
Josiah  was  mortally  \vounded  by  the  Egyp- 
tians. From  the  "base  of  this  triangular 
plain  three  branches  stretch  out  eastward, 
divided  by  two  bleak  gray  ridges,  one  called 
Mount  Gilboa,  the  other  Little  Hermon. 
The  central  branch  is  the  richest  as  well  as 
the  most  celebrated.  It  is  the  valley  of 
Jezreel  proper  ;  the  battle-field  where  Gid- 
eon triumphed  and  Saul  and  Jonathan 
were  overthrown.  Judg.  7  : 1,  ff. ;  1  Sam.  29 
and  31.  The  plain  is  noted  for  its  wonder- 
fiil  richness. 

Joab  {jo'ab),  ^xhof^e  father  is  .Jehovah.  1. 
The  son  of  Zeruiah,  and  nephew  of  David, 
and  commander-in-cliief  of  his  army.    He 


was  an  accompUshed  warrior,  but  a  most 
unscrupulous  man.  1  Chron.  2  :  16 ;  11 : 6. 
He  treacherously  assassinated  Abner.  2 
Sam.  2  :  23 ;  3  :  27.  When  Absalom  rebelled 
Joab  adhered  to  David ;  and  contrary  to 
express  orders  he  put  Absalom  to  death.  2 
Sam.  18  :  14.  David  then  made  Amasa  gen- 
eral of  his  army,  but  Joab  was  so  oftended 
that  he  also  assassinated  Amasa,  as  he  had 
done  Abner.  2  Sam.  20 :  10.  Joab  combined 
in  the  plot  to  set  Adonijah  on  the  throne, 
in  defiance  of  the  will  of  David,  who  had, 
by  divine  direction,  resolved  to  make  Solo- 
mon king.  1  Kings  2  :  28.  After  the  death 
of  David,  Joab  was  slain  at  the  altar, 
whither  he  had  fled  for  protection ;  and 
was  buried  in  his  own  domain  in  the  wil- 
derness. 2  Kings  2  :  5-34.  2.  A  descendant 
of  Judah.  1  Chron.  4  :  14.  3.  One  whose 
posterity  returned  from  exile.  Ezra  2:6;  8 : 
9;  Neh.*7:lL 

Joasli  (jo'dsh),  Jehovah  gives.  1.  The 
son  and  successor  of  Ahaziah,  king  of 
Judah,  called  also  Jehoash.  On  the  mur- 
der of  his  brethren  by  Athahah,  he  was 
saved  by  his  aunt  Jehosheba,  the  wife  of 
Jehoiada  the  high  priest,  who  hid  him  for 
six  years  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the  tem- 
ple. When  Joash  was  7  years  of  age,  Je- 
hoiada planned  with  Azariah  and  others, 
to  place  young  Joash  upon  the  throne,  and 
to  dethrone  his  grandmother,  the  wicked 
Athahah ;  and  the  young  king  was  crowned 
in  the  court  of  the  temple  with  great  so- 
lemnity. 2  Kings  11.  Joash  behaved  liim- 
self  well  while  Jehoiada  hved  and  was  his 
guide ;  but  no  sooner  was  this  good  man 
dead  than  he  began  to  hsten  to  the  coun- 
sels of  his  wicked  courtiers.  Zechariah  the 
priest,  son  of  Jehoiada,  warned  him  of  his 
sin  and  danger;  but  as  a  reward  of  his 
fidelity,  he  was,  by  order  of  Joash,  stoned 
to  death  between  "the  porch  and  the  altar, 
prophesving  that  God  would  avenge  his 
death.  "2  Chron.  24 :  20-22.  After  suffering 
a  variety  of  injuries  from  the  Syrians,  and 
after  being  loaded  with  ignominy,  Joash 
was  murdered  by  his  own  servants,  after  a 
reign  of  41  years.  His  remains  were  re- 
fused a  place  in  the  roval  sepulchre.  See 
also  2  Kings  12  ;  13 : 1 ;  2  Chron.  22 :  10-12 ; 
23 ;  24.  2.  The  son  and  successor  of  Jeho- 
ahaz,  king  of  Israel.  He  reigned  two  or 
three  years  with  his  father  and  alone  14 
years.  He  departed  not  from  the  sins  of 
Jeroboam,  the  son  of  Nebat ;  nevertheless 
he  was  successful  in  three  campaigns  against 
the  Syrians ;  and  in  one  against  Amaziah, 
king  of  Judah.  Joash  seems  to  have  been 
possessed  of  more  talents  than  ^-irtues.  He 
is  also  called  "  Jehoash."  2  Kings  13  :  10- 
25  ;  14  :  1-16.  3.  The  father  of  Gideon. 
Judg.  6  :  11.  4.  A  son  of  Ahab,  king  of 
Israel.  1  Kings  22  :  26 ;  2  Chron.  18 :  25.  5. 
One  of  David's  distinguished  warriors.  1 
Chron.  12 ;  3,  21.  6.  A  descendant  of  Judah. 
1  Chron.  4  :  22. 

Job  (job).  1.  The  patriarch,  from  whom 
one  of  the  poetical  books  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment is  named.  He  lived  in  the  land  of 
Uz  and  belonged  to  the  Aramean  race, 
which  had  settled  in  the  lower  part  of  Mes- 
opotamia (probably  to  the  south  or  south- 
127 


JOB,  BOOK  OF 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JOHN  THE  APOSTLE 


east  of  Palestine,  in  Idumean  Arabia),  ad- 
jacent to  the  Sabeans  and  Chaldeans.  The 
opinions  of  Job  and  his  friends  are  thus  in- 
teresting as  showing  a  phase  of  patriarchal 
reUgion  outside  of  the  family  of  Abraham, 
and  not  controlled  by  the  legislation  cif 
Moses.  The  form  of  worship  is  similar  to 
the  early  patriarchal  type ;  with  little  of 
ceremonial  ritual,  without  a  separate  priest- 
hood. Job  is  represented  as  a  chieftain  of 
immense  wealth  and  high  rank,  blameless 
in  all  the  relations  of  hfe,  subjected  to  spe- 
cial trials,  which  he  endurecl  Avith  humil- 
ity, and  finally  was  rewarded  by  marked 
blessings  and  great  prosperity.  2.  Son  of 
Issachar,  called  Jashub.  Gen.  46 :  13 ;  1 
Chron.  7  : 1. 

Job,  Book  of.  This  is  an  historical 
poem,  as  is  shown  by  the  narrative  pro- 
logue and  epilogue  in  prose.  Some  ascribe 
its  authorship  to  ]\Ioses  in  Midian,  others 
bring  it  down  to  the  age  of  Solomon.  It  is 
written  in  pure  Hebrew,  and  shows  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  both  Egyptian  and 
Arabian  scenery  and  usages.  Its  theme  is 
the  problem  of  evil,  why  the  righteous 
suffer  and  the  wicked  prosper  in  this  world. 
After  the  outbreak  of  Job's  despair,  chap. 
3,  there  are  three  series  of  controversies,  in 
which  each  of  Job's  friends  makes  an  ad- 
dress, to  which  Job  rephes — save  that  in 
the  32d  series  Zophar  is  silent.  Chaps  4- 
26.  Then  Job  makes  a  closing  address  to 
all  three,  27,  28,  followed  by  a  striking  solil- 
oquy, 29-31.  Elihu  utters  four  discourses, 
32-37,  after  which  Jehovah  speaks  out  of 
the  whirlwind,  38-41,  and  Job  is  humbled 
and  yet  vindicated.  The  best  critics  of 
every  age  count  this  poetical  book  as  one  of 
the  immortal  master-pieces  of  genius.  Car- 
lyle  said  that  "there  is  nothing  written  of 
equal  hterary  merit."  But  it  is  no  less  esti- 
mable for  its  religious  and  ethical  worth, 
setting  forth  as  it  does  the  being  and  perfec- 
tions of  Jehovah,  the  apostasy  and  guilt  of 
evil  spirits  and  of  mankind,  the  sovereignty 
of  divine  proA-idence,  the  mercy  of  God  oir 
the  basis  of  sacrifice  and  penitence,  the 
disciphnary  nature  of  his  people's  sorrows, 
the  wisdom  of  submission  to  his  will,  and 
the  assurance,  in  view  of  his  infinite  power 
and  wisdom,  that  all  shall  be  well  with  his 
followers  in  the  end.  The  Book  of  Job 
may  be  better  understood  by  reading  it 
in  the  Revised  English  Version. 

Jocliebed  {j6k'e-hrd),  whose  glory  is  Je- 
hovah. The  wife  and  at  the  same  time  the 
aunt  of  Amram  and  the  mother  of  ISIoses 
and  Aaron.    Ex.  2:1;  6  :  20 ;  Num.  26  :  59. 

Joel  {jo'el).  One  of  the  minor  prophets 
and  son  of  Pethuel.  Nothing  is  recorded 
of  his  personal  history,  but  he  belongs 
most  likely  to  the  reign  of  Uzziah,  and  re- 
sided in  judah.  There  are  14  persons  of 
this  name  mentioned  in  the  Bible. 

Joel,  Book  of.  It  may  be  di-sided  into 
two  pans :  I.  1-2 :  17  describes  a  sore  judg- 
ment which  is  to  come  upon  the  land,  and 
is  used  as  a  call  to  repentance.  II. 
2  :  18-3  :  21  contains  the  blessings  which 
Jehovah  will  confer  upon  the  chosen  peo- 
ple, and  announces  when  the  Messiah  has 
come,  the  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  and  the 
128 


complete  conquest  of  Judah  over  her  foes, 
resulting  in  absolute  and  unbreakable 
peace.  The  second  chapter  contains  a 
prophecy  of  a  terrible  plague  of  locusts, 
but  a  symbolical  use  is  made  of  the  incur- 
sion to  foretell  the  attack  of  Judah's  foes. 
Joel's  style  is  classical;  "it  is  elegant  and 
perspicuous,  and  at  the  same  time  nervous, 
animated,  and  sublime." — Ayre.  The  ful- 
fillment of  his  Messianic  prophecies  is  no- 
ticed in  the  New  Testament.  Acts  2  :  16- 
21 ;  Rom.  10  :  13. 

John  the  Apostle.  The  son  of  Zeb- 
edee  and  Salome,  of  Bethsaida.  His  father 
was  able  to  have  "  hired  servants  "  and  his 
mother  was  one  of  the  women  who  aided 
in  Jesus'  support,  Luke  8  :  3,  and  took  spices 
to  embalm  his  body.  Mark  16  : 1.  He  is  re- 
garded as  the  youngest  of  the  twelve  apos- 
tles, but  had  been  a  disciple  of  John  the 
Baptist,  who  pointed  out  Jesus  as  the  Lamb 
of  God  to  him.  John  1 :  35-37.  John  is 
noted  as  "  the  disciple  w^hom  Jesus  loved," 
and  as  one  of  the  three  chosen  to  witness 
the  restoration  of  Jairus'  daughter,  the 
transfiguration,  and  the  agony  in  the  gar- 
den. At  the  last  supper  he  reclined  on 
Jesus'  bosom,  and  to  his  care  Jesus  on  the 
cross  committed  his  mother.  He  with 
Peter  on  the  resurrection  morn  ran  to  the 
empty  tomb  of  Jesus,  and  "he  saw  and 
believed."  When  with  some  others  he  was 
fishing  on  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  he  was  the 
first  to  recognize  the  Lord  standing  on  the 
shore.  After  the  ascension,  he  and  James 
and  Peter  were  the  leading  apostles,  Gal. 
2  :  9,  of  the  infant  church,  and  guided  its 
counsels.  He  was  banished  for  a  time  to 
the  isle  of  Patmos.  Tradition  represents 
him  as  closing  his  career  at  Ephesus.  He 
Avas  naturally  bold  and  severe.  Our  Lord 
called  him  a  "son  of  thunder,"  but  he  be- 
came amiable  though  firm  and  fearless. 

John,  Gospel  of.  The  fourth  Gospel  is 
ascribed  to  John,  and  was  probably  com- 
posed, or  at  least  put  in  its  present  shape, 
at  Ephesus,  between  a.  d.  70  and  95.  The 
particular  design  of  it  is  expressed  by  tlie 
author  to  be  that  we  might  beheve  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and 
that,  beheving,  we  might  have  hfe  through 
his  name.  John  20 :  31.  Hence  the  sub- 
jects and  discourses  of  this  book  have  spe- 
cial relation  to  our  Lord's  character  and 
offices,  and  are  evidently  intended  to 
prove  his  nature,  authority,  and  doctrines 
as  divine.  The  gospel  contains:  A.  The 
prologue,  1  :  1-18  ;  B.  The  history,  1  :  19  to 
chap.  21.  1.  The  preparation  for  Jesus' 
pubhc  ministry,  (a)  by  John,  1 :  19-36 ;  (6) 
by  the  choice  of  disciples.  1  :  37-51.  2. 
The  pubhc  labors  of  Jesus  in  doctrine  and 
miracle,  chaps.  2-12.  3.  Jesus  in  the  pri- 
vate circle  of  his  disciples.  Chaps.  13-17. 
4.  The  history  of  the  passion  and  resurrec- 
tion or  public  glorification  of  the  Lord. 
Chaps.  18-21.  "  The  Gospel  of  John  is," 
says  Schaff,  "the  gospel  of  gospels.  It  is 
the  most  remarkable  as  well  as  most  im- 
portant literarj^  production  ever  composed. 
...  It  is  a  marvel  even  in  the  marvellous 
Book  of  books.  It  is  the  most  spiritual  and 
ideal  of  gospels.    It  brings  us,  as  it  were, 


JOHN  THE  BAPTIST 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JORDAN 


into  the  immediate  presence  of  Jesus.  It 
gives  us  the  clearest  view  of  Iris  incarnate 
oiviuity  and  iiis  perfect  humanity." 

John,  the  Epistles  of,  are  three  in 
number.  They  were  written  in  Ephesus, 
between  a.  d.  80  and  95,  or  possibly  later. 
The  first  has  always  been  attributed  lo 
John,  though  his  name  is  neither  prefixed 
nor  subscribed.  It  is  a  kind  of  practical 
application  of  the  gospel..  It  is  addressed 
to  Christians.  The  second  epistie  is  ad- 
dressed to  the  "elect  lady  and  her  chil- 
dren." The  elect  lady  is  supposed  to  have 
been  some  honorable  woman  distinguished 
for  piety,  and  well  known  in  the  churches 
as  a  disciple  of  Christ.  Some,  however, 
have  thought  some  particular  church  and 
its  members  might  be  denoted.  Those 
w^ho  adopt  the  latter  opinion  apply  the 
term  to  the  church  at  Jerusalem,  and  the 
term  "  elect  sister,"  2  John  13,  to  the  church 
at  Ephesus.  The  third  epistle,  which  is 
addressed  to  Gains,  or  Caius,  a  private  in- 
dividual, and  is  commendatory  of  his  piety, 
was  written  about  the  same  time  with  the 
others. 

J  o  Ii  n  U6n)  the  Baptist,  whom  God 
loves.  The  forerunner  of  our  Saviour.  He 
was  the  son  of  Zacharias  and  Ehsabeth, 
both  belonging  to  priestly  famihes.  Luke 
1 : 5.  His  birth,  name,  and  work  were  fore- 
told by  the  angel  Gabriel.  He  grew  up  a 
Nazirite,  and  when  about  30  years  old  be- 
gan to  preach  in  the  wilderness  of  Judtea. 
His  dress,  food,  and  manner  of  hfe  were 
like  EUjah.  He  was  fearless  and  faithful, 
and  met  wath  success  among  the  people ; 
yet  he  was  humble  and  gave  great  honor 
to  Jesus,  who  came  to  his  baptism.  At  the 
request  of  Jesus,  John,  however,  baptized 
him.  John  continued  his  labors  with  grow- 
ing popularity  for  a  year  and  a  half,  when 
he  was  cast  into  prison  by  Herod,  whom  he 
reproved  for  marrying  his  brother  Phihp's 
wife.  In  prison  his  faith  seemed  to  waver, 
for  he  sent  to  Jesus  to  know  if  he  were 
really  the  Messiah,  and  received  a  satisfac- 
tory answer.  :Matt.  11 : 4-6.  But  the  malice 
of  Herodias,  whose  connection  with  Herod 
whom  John  had  rebuked,  wrought  his 
death.  Matt.  14  :  6-12.  John  was  beheaded 
in  prison  on  Herod's  birthday,  at  the  re- 
quest of  the  wicked  Herodias.  His  disci- 
ples buried  his  body  and  went  and  told 
Jesus. 

John  .(Mark).  The  Hebrew  name  of 
the  evangelist  Mark.  Acts  12  :  12,  25  ;  13  : 
5,  13 ;  15  :  37.    See  Mark. 

John,  Revelation  of.  See  Revela- 
tion. 

Jonadab  {jon'a-ddb),  whom  Jehovah  im- 
pels. 1.  The  son  of  Shimeah,  and  nephew 
of  David.  "  He  seems  to  have  been  one  of 
those  characters  who,  in  the  midst  of  great 
or  royal  families,  pride  themselves  and  are 
renowned  for  being  acquainted  with  the 
secrets  of  the  whole  circle  in  which  they 
vaove."—Stanle7/.  He  advised  the  outrage 
of  Tamar.  2  Sam.  13  : 3-5.  2.  The  fonn,  oft- 
repeated,  in  Jer.  35  for  Jehonadab,  which 
see. 

Jonah  (jo'nah),  dove.  The  fifth  of  the 
minor  prophets ;  was  the  son  of  Amittai, 


and  a  native  of  Ciath-liepher.  2  Ivings  14.- 
25.  He  nourished  in  or  before  the  reign  of 
Jeroboam  II.,  about  e.  c.  820.  His  story 
is  related  in  the  book  that  bears  his  name. 
Christ  tells  of  "the  sign  of  the  prophet 
Jonah."  Luke  11:29,  30.  But  the  resur- 
rection of  Christ  itself  was  also  shadowed 
forth  in  the  history  of  the  prophet.  Matt. 
12 :  39,  41 ;  16  : 4.  The  mission  of  Jonah  was 
highly  symbolical.  The  old  tradition  made 
the  btlrial  place  of  Jonah  to  be  Gath-hepher ; 
the'  modern  tradition  places  it  at  Nebi- 
Yunus,  opposite  Mosul. 
Jonathan  (jon'a-thcm),  the  gift  of  Jehovah. 
1.  A  son  of  Gershom  and  a  Levite,  w'ho 
impiously  served  as  a  priest,  first  to  Micah, 
and  then  to  the  Danites  in  Laish  or  Dan. 
Judg.  17  :  18.  2.  A  son  of  Saul,  1  Chron.  8 : 
33,  distinguished  for  his  lovely  character. 
His  biilhant  exploit  in  Michmash,  1  Sam. 

13  and  14,  illustrates  his  pious  faith,  his 
bravery,  see  also  1  Sam.  13 : 3,  when  he  was 
about  30  years  old,  and  liis  favor  with  the 
people,  who  would  not  sixfter  him  to  be 
put  to  death  for  violating  Saul's  foolish 
vow.  This  vahant  and  generous  prince, 
"  strong  hke  a  hon  and  swift  like  an  eagle," 
2  Sam.  1 :  23,  loved  David  as  his  own  soul. 
1  Sam.  18 : 1-4 ;  19 : 2  ;  20.  When  he  knew 
that  David  was  chosen  of  God  for  the 
throne,  he  nobly  yielded  his  own  claims, 
and  while  holding  to  his  father  he  had  a 
pure  and  disinterested  friendship  for  Da- 
vid. 1  Sam.  23  :  16-18.  He  was  slain  with 
his  father,  in  battle  with  the  Phihstines  at 
Mount  Gilboa.  The  beauty  and  pathos  of 
the  elegy  in  which  David  laments  his 
friend  are  unsurpassed  in  literatiu-e.  2  Sam. 
1.  David  found  and  cared  for  the  only 
son  Mephibosheth.     2  Sam.  9.    There  are 

14  persons  of  this  name  mentioned  in  the 
Bible. 

J  o  p  p  a  (jdp'pah),  or  J  a  p  h  o  (jd'pho), 
beauty,  now  Jaffa.  A  town  on  the  south- 
west coast  of  Palestine,  in  the  territory  of 
Dan.  Josh.  19  :  46.  The  harbor,  though 
always  as  now  a  dangerous  one,  became  the 
port  of  Jerusalem  in  the  days  of  Solomon, 
and  has  been  ever  since.  Here  Jonah  took 
ship  to  flee  from  the  presence  of  his 
Maker.  Here,  on  the  housetop  of  Simon, 
the  tanner,  "  by  the  seaside,"  Peter  had  his 
vision  that  led'him  to  preach  the  gospel  to 
Gentiles.  Acts  11 : 5.  In  population  Joppa 
has  greatly  increased  within  25  years.  A 
Turkish  calendar  enumerates  865  Moslem, 
135  Greek,  70  Greek  Cathohc,  50  Latin,  6 
Maronite,  and  5  Armenian  families.  It 
now  has  daily  railway  trains  to  Jeru- 
salem. There  "are  flourishing  colonies  set- 
tled in  the  vicinity,  which  foster  various 
industries. 

Jordan  (jor'dan),  the  descender,  called 
"the  river,"  Gen.  31  :  21;  Josh.  1  :  11,  has 
a  cotirse  of  little  more  than  200  miles, 
from  the  foot  of  Anti-Lebanon  to  the 
head  of  the  Dead  sea— 136  miles  in  a 
straight  line.  It  is  the  river  of  the  great 
depressed  valley  of  Palestine— the  "de- 
scender," if  not  "the  river  of  God"  in 
the  book  of  Psalms.  There  were  fords  op- 
posite Jericho,  to  which  the  men  of  Jericho 
pursued  the  spies.  Josh.  2:7;  compare 
129 


JOSEPH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JOSHUA 


Judg.  3 :  28.  Higher  up  were  the  fords  or 
passages  of  Bethbarah,  where  Gideon  lay 
in  wait  for  the  Midianites,  Judg.  7  :  24,  and 
where  the  men  of  Gilead  slew  the  Ephra- 
imites.  Judg.  12  :  6.  At  one  of  these  fords 
was  made  the  first  recorded  passage  of 
the  Jordan  in  the  Old  Testament.  Gen. 
32 :  10.  Jordan  was  next  crossed,  over 
against  Jericho,  by  Joshua.  Josh.  4 :  12,  13. 
From  their  nearness  to  Jerusalem  the  lower 
fords  were  much  used.  David,  it  is  prob- 
able, passed  over  them  in  one  instance  to 
fight  the  Syrians.  2  Sam.  10  :  17  ;  17  :  22. 
Thus  there  were  two  or  more  places  at 
which  the  Jordan  was  usually  forded  ;  and 
it  must  have  been  at  one  of  these,  if  not  at 
both,  that  baptism  was  afterwards  admin- 
istered by  John  the  Baptist,  and  by  the  dis- 
ciples of  our  Lord.  Our  Lord  was  baptized 
probably  at  the  ford  near  Bethabara  or 
Bethany.  The  rains  and  the  melting  of 
the  snows  on  Lebanon  caused  it  to 
rise  and  flood  the  valley.  "The  Jordan 
overflowed  all  his  banks  all  the  time 
of  harvest."  Josh.  3 :  15.  The  channel 
or  bed  of  the  river  became  brimful,  so 
that  the  level  of  the  water  and  of  the  banks 
was  then  the  same.  The  bridges  over  the 
river  did  not  exist  in  early  times,  although 
there  are  evidences  of  one  near  the  lake  of 
Gahlee  in  the  Roman  period,  and  perhaps 
in  the  time  of  Christ.  See  Galilee,  by  S. 
Merrill.  In  the  scriptural  accounts  of  the 
Jordan  it  is  frequently  mentioned  as  a 
boundary  :  "  over  Jordari,'"  '  this  "  and  "  the 
other  side,"  or  "  beyond  Jordan,"  were  ex- 
pressions familiar  to  the  Israelites.  In  one 
sense,  indeed,  that  is,  in  so  far  as  it  was  the 
eastern  boundary  of  the  land  of  Canaan,  it 
was  the  eastern  boundary  of  the  promised 
land.  Num.  34  :  12.  The  Jordan  rises  from 
several  sources  near  Panium  {Bdnids),  and 
passes  through  the  lakes  of  Merom  {Huleh) 
and  Gennesaret.  The  two  principal  fea- 
tures in  its  course  are  its  descent  and  its 
windings.  From  its  fountain  heads  to  the 
Dead  sea  it  rushes  down  one  continuous 
inclined  plane,  only  broken  by  a  series  of 
rapids  or  precipitous  falls.  Between  the 
Lake  of  Gennesaret  and  the  Dead  sea  there 
are  27  rapids.  The  depression  of  the  Lake 
of  Gennesaret  below  the  level  of  the  Med- 
iterranean is  653  feet,  and  that  of  the  Dead 
sea  1316  feet.  The  whole  descent  from  its 
source  to  the  Dead  Sea  is  3000  feet.  Its 
width  varies  from  45  to  180  feet,  and  it  is 
from  3  to  12  feet  deep.—Schaff.  The  only 
tributaries  to  the  Jordan  below  Genne- 
saret are  the  Yarmiik  (Hieromax)  and  the 
Zerka  (Jabbok). 

Joseph  (jo'zef),  increase.  1.  The  elder  of 
Jacob's  two  sons  by  Rachel,  Gen.  37  : 3,  and 
beloved  by  his  father.  The  gift  of  the  new 
robe,  or  coat  of  many  colors,  was  perhaps  in- 
tended to  give  him  the  rights  of  primogeni- 
ture, as  the  son  of  his  first  wife,  in  place  of 
Reuben  who  had  forfeited  them.  Gen.  35 : 
22 ;  1  Chron.  5:1.  He  was  born  in  Meso- 
potamia. Gen.  30  :  22-24.  By  a  wonderful 
providence  of  God  he  was  raised  from  a 
prison  to  be  the  chief  ruler  of  Egypt  under 
Pharaoh.  "  The  story  of  his  father's  fond- 
ness, of  his  protest  against  sin  among  his 
130 


brothers,  of  their  jealous  hostility  and  his 
]uuphetic  dreams,  of  his  sale  by  his  breth- 
ren to  Midianites  and  by  them  to  Potiphar 
in  Egypt,  of  the  divine  favor  on  his  pure 
and  prudent  hfe,  his  imprisonment  for 
three  to  twelve  years  for  virtue's  sake,  his 
wonderful  exaltation  to  power  and  his  wise 
use  of  it  for  the  good  of  the  nation,  of  his 
tender  and  reverent  care  of  his  father,  his 
magnanimity  to  his  brethren,  and  his  faith 
in  the  future  of  God's  chosen  people,  is  one 
of  the  most  pleasing  and  instructive  in  the 
Bible,  and  is  related  in  language  inimita- 
bly natural,  simple,  and  touching.  It  is 
too  beautiful  for  abridgment,  and  too  fa- 
miliar to  need  full  rehearsal." — Rand.  The 
history  of  Joseph  is  strikingly  confirmed 
by  the  Egyptian  monuments.  Joseph  mar- 
ried the  princess  Asenath,  daughter  of  Po- 
tipherah,  priest  of  On ;  and  his  two  sons, 
Manasseh  and  Ephraim,  Gen.  41 :  50,  whom 
Jacob  adopted,  Gen.  48 : 5,  became  the 
heads  of  two  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

2.  The  son  of  Heh  and  reputed  father  of 
Jesus  Christ.  He  was  a  just  man,  and  of 
the  house  and  lineage  of  David.  He  hved 
at  Nazareth  in  Galilee.  He  espoused  Mary, 
the  daughter  and  heir  of  his  uncle  Jacob, 
ajid  before  he  took  her  home  his  wife  re- 
ceived the  angelic  communication  recorded 
in  JNIatt.  1 :  20.  When  Jesus  was  twelve 
years  old,  Joseph  took  his  mother  and 
Jesus  to  keep  the  passover  at  Jerusalem, 
and  when  they  returned  to  Nazareth  he 
continued  to  act  as  a  father  to  the  child 
Jesus,  and  was  reputed  to  be  so  indeed. 
But  here  our  knowledge  of  Joseph  ends. 
That  he  died  before  our  Lord's  crucifixion 
is  indeed  tolerably  certain,  by  what  is 
related,  John  19  :  27";  and,  perhaps,  Mark  6  : 

3,  may  imply  that  he  was  then  dead.  But 
where,  when,  or  how  he  died,  we  know  not. 
3.  Joseph  of  Arimathaea,  a  rich  and  pious 
Israelite,  probably  a  member  of  the  Great 
Council  or  Sanhedrin.  He  is  further  char- 
acterized as  "  a  good  man  and  a  just." 
Luke  23 :  50.  We  are  told  that  he  did  not 
"  consent  to  the  counsel  and  deed"  of  his 
colleagues  in  the  death  of  Jesus.  On  the 
evening  of  the  crucifixion  Joseph  "  went 
in  boldly  unto  Pilate  and  craved  the  body 
of  Jesus."  Pilate  consented.  Joseph  and 
Nicodemus  then,  having  enfolded  the  sa- 
cred  body  in  the  linen  shroud  which  Joseph 
had  bought,  placed  it  in  a  tomb  hewn  in  a 
rock,  in  a  garden  belonging  to  Joseph,  and 
close  to  the  place  of  crucifixion.  There  is 
a  tradition  that  he  was  one  of  the  seventy 
disciples.  4.  Joseph,  called  Barsabas.  and 
surnamed  Justus  ;  one  of  the  two  persons 
chosen  by  the  assembled  church.  Acts  1 : 
23,  as  worthy  to  fill  the  place  in  the  apos- 
tolic company  from  which  Judas  had 
fallen. 

Joshua  (jdsh'u-ah),  Saviour,  or  whose  help 
is  Jehovah.  Written  also  Hoshea,  Oshea, 
Jehoshiia,  Jeshua,  and  Jesus.  1.  The 
son  of  Nun,  of  the  tribe  of  Ephraim.  1 
Chron.  7  :  27,  and  minister  of  Moses.  Ex. 
24  :  13.  He  is  mentioned  first  in  connection 
with  the  fight  against  Amalek  at  Rephidim, 
w^hen  he  was  chosen  by  Moses  to  lead  the 
Israelites.     Ex.  17 : 9.    He  was  one  of  the 


JOSIAH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JUBILEE 


twelv  spies  who  were  sent,  Num.  13  :  17, 
to  jxplore  the  land  of  Canaan,  and  one  of 
the  two,  Num.  14  :  6,  who  gave  an  encour- 
aging report  of  their  journey.  Moses, 
shortly  before  his  death,  was  directed, 
Num.  27  :  18,  to  appoint  Joshua  leader  over 
the  people.  God  liimself  gave  Joshua  a 
charge  through  the  lawgiver.  Deut.  31 : 
14,  23.  Under  God's  direction.  Josh.  1 : 1, 
Joshua  assumed  the  command  of  the  peo- 
ple at  Shittim,  sent  spies  into  Jericho, 
crossed  the  Jordan,  fortified  a  camp  at 
Gilgal,  circumcised  the  people,  kept  the 
passover,  and  was  visited  by  the  Captain 
of  the  Lord's  Host.  The  miraculous  fall 
of  Jericho  terrified  the  Canaanites.  In  the 
great  battle  of  Beth-horon  the  Amorites 
were  signally  routed,  and  the  south  coun- 
try was  open  to  the  Israelites.  Joshua  re- 
turned to  the  camp  at  Gilgal,  having  con- 
quered half  of  Palestine.  He  defeated  the 
Canaanites  under  Jabin  king  of  Hazor. 
In  six  years  six  tribes,  with  31  petty  chiefs, 
were  conquered.  Joshua,  now  stricken  in 
years,  proceeded  to  make  the  division  of 
the  conquered  land.  Timnath-serah  in 
Mount  Ephraim  was  assigned  as  Joshua's 
peculiar  inheritance.  After  an  interval  of 
rest,  Joshua  convoked  an  assembly  from  all 
Israel.  He  dehvered  two  solemn  addresses, 
recorded  in  Josh,  chaps.  23,  24.  He  died 
at  the  age  of  110  years,  and  was  buried  in 
his  own  city,  Timnath-serah.  Joshua's 
character  is  a  very  noble  one;  and  few 
blemishes  are  found  in  it.  The  favored 
disciple  of  Moses,  he  learned  to  be  faithful 
to  the  Lord  God.  Once,  indeed,  he  was  too 
jealous  for  what  he  conceived  to  be  Mo- 
ses' honor.  Num.  11 :  28,  29.  He  was  gen- 
erally bold  and  fearless,  though  an  unex- 
pected check  at  one  time  dispirited  him. 
But,  with  these  small  exceptions,  an  able 
commander,  a  wise  ruler,  a  faithful  servant 
of  the  Lord,  Joshua  shines  as  a  bright  star 
among  the  noble  worthies  of  Old  Testament 
history.  2.  An  inhabitant  of  Beth-she- 
mesh,  in  whose  land  was  the  stone  at  which 
the  milch-kine  stopped  when  they  drew 
the  ark  of  God  with  the  offerings  of  the 
Philistines  from  Ekron  to  Beth-shemesh. 
1  Sam.  6 :  14,  18,  b.  c.  1124.  3.  A  governor 
of  the  city  who  gave  his  name  to  a  gate  of 
Jerusalem,  2  Kings  23 : 8,  in  the  reign  of 
Josiah,  B.  c.  628.  4.  Jeshua  the  son  of  Joza- 
dak.    Hag.  1 :  14  ;  2:2;  Zech.  3  : 1,  etc. 

Josiah  (jo-sl'ah),  whom  Jehovah  heals. 
One  of  the  pious  kings  of  Judah.  He 
reigned  31  years,  b.  c.  640-610.  He  as- 
cended the  throne  at  the  early  age  of  eight 
-  years,  and  before  his  eighteenth  year  he  had 
cut  off"  and  destroyed  all  the  idols  of  the 
land,  with  their  temples,  groves,  and  mon- 
uments ;  and  had  ransacked  the  sepulchres 
of  the  idolatrous  priests,  and  burned  their 
bones  upon  the  altars,  in  accordance  with 
the  prophecy  of  the  man  of  God,  announced 
in  the  presence  of  Jeroboam  326  years  be- 
fore Josiah  was  born.  1  Kings  13  : 2 ;  2 
Kings  22  :  1,  2 ;  2  Chron.  ,34  : 1,  2.  In  the 
prosecution  of  the  thorough  repair  and  pu- 
rification of  the  temple,  Hilkiah  "found 
the  book  of  the  I^aw  of  the  Lord  by  Mo- 
ses."    Josiah  immediately  convoked  the 


whole  realm,  and  in  person  read  the  book 
of  the  I^aw  to  them,  and  exacted  from 
them  a  promise  to  obey  it.  2  Kings  22  : 8- 
20  :  2  Chron.  34  :  14-33.  The  Scythians  are 
supposed  to  have  invaded  Palestine  be- 
tween the  thirteenth  and  the  eighteenth 
year  of  his  reign.  Josiah  was  mortally 
wounded  at  Megiddo,  and  died  at  Jerasa- 
lem.  Jeremiah  the  prophet  was  greatly 
affected  by  it,  and  composed  an  elegy  on 
the  occasion,  2  Chron.  35 :  25,  and  all  those 
accustomed  to  celebrate  in  song  the  worth 
and  achievements  of  men  of  great  emi- 
nence, both  men  and  women,  mourned  for 
Josiah  for  ages  after  his  death.  Indeed, 
the  mourning  was  such  as  to  become  pro- 
verbial. Zech.  12:11.  He  was  only  39 
years  of  age  when  he  died. 

Jot,  the  Enghsh  form  of  the  Greek  iota, 
i.  e.,  the  smallest  letter  of  the  Greek  alpha- 
bet. The  B.ehrewyod,  or  y  formed  somewhat 
like  a  comma  (').  It  is  used  metaphorically 
to  express  the  minutest  thing. 

J  o  t  h  a  m  ijo'tham),  Jehovah  is  upright. 
1.  The  youngest  son  of  Gideon,  Judg.  9  :  5, 
who  escaped  from  the  massacre  of  his 
brethren.  His  parable  of  the  reign  of  the 
bramble  is  the  earliest  example  of  the  kind. 
Judg.  9 : 7-21.  2.  The  son  of  king  Uzziah 
or  Azariah  and  Jerushah.  After  ruhng  the 
kingdom  for  some  years  during  his  father's 
leprosy,  he  succeeded  to  the  throne  b.  c. 
758,  when  he  was  25  years  old,  and  reigned 
16  years  in  Jerusalem.  He  was  contempo- 
rary with  Pekah  and  with  the  prophet  Isa- 
iah. His  history  is  contained  in  2  Kings  15 
and  2  Chron.  27. 

Journeyings  of  Israel.  Num.  9  :  17- 
23.  See  Exodus,  Sinai,  and  Wilderness 
of  tlie  Wanderings,  and  Table  in  Ap- 
pendix. 

Jubilee.  Lev.  25.  A  festal  year  pre- 
scribed by  the  Hebrew  law.  It  recurred 
every  fiftieth  year,  after  seven  Sabbaths  of 
years— not  being,  as  some  have  supposed, 
the  seventh  sabbatical  year — marking  off"  a 
great  cycle  of  time,  so  that  at  each  half 
century  the  Israelitish  polity  began,  as  it 
were,  afresh  ;  a  new  morning  of  holy  grat- 
ulation  and  recovered  strength  dawning 
on  the  land.  All  Hebrew  servants  were 
set  free,  pledges  of  lands,  personal  prop- 
erty rights  alienated  for  any  reason,  were 
restored,  there  being  only  one  exception — 
that  of  houses  built  in  walled  towns.  Lev. 
25 :  29-31.  All  were  to  be  put  back,  as  for 
as  possible,  into  the  position  in  which  they 
began  the  50  years.  The  account  of  this 
institution,  which  had  its  type  in  the 
weekly  Sabbath,  is  carefully  given  in  the 
law.  Lev.  25 : 8-16,  2:3-55.  The  jubilee 
commenced  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  sev- 
enth month,  and  was  proclaimed  through 
the  whole  country.  It  was  to  be  a  year 
when,  as  in  the  sabbatical  year,  the  land 
lay  untilled ;  nor  was  there  any  formal 
gathering  of  its  spontaneous  produce,  which 
was  to  be  absolutely  free  to  all  comers.  It 
has  been  disputed  whether  the  law  of  the 
jubilee  ever  came  into  full  operation. 
Little  is  directly  recorded;  but  there  are 
several  allusions  to  it.  Num.  36  :  4 ;  Isa.  61 ; 
1,  2  ;  Ezek.  7  :  12,  13 ;  46  :  16-18.  No  doubt, 
131 


JUDiEA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY         JUDAH,  TERRITORY  OF 


Hke  other  commandments  of  the  law,  it 
was  neglected  in  days  of  declension  and 
apostasy.  It  must  liav^e  pointed  forward 
also  to  that  future  state  of  glorious  spiritual 
freedom,  where  the  inheritance  of  each  re- 
deemed one  is  his  forever,  no  forfeiture  of 
his  high  privileges  to  be  dreaded  in  God's 
eternal  kingdom. 

Jiidjea  {ju-defah),  or  Jiidea,  Province 
of.  A  name  applied  to  that  part  of  Canaan 
occupied  by  those  who  returned  after  the 
Assyrian  and  Babylonian  captivities,  The 
W'Ord  tirst  occurs,  Dan.  5:13  (A.  V.  "Jew- 
ry"), and  the  first  mention  of  the  "]3rov- 
iirce  of  Juda2a"  (R.  V.  "Judah")  is  in 
Ezra  5:8;  it  is  alluded  to  in  Neh.  11 : 3  (A. 
V.  "Judah");  in  the  Apocrypha  the  word 
"  province  "  is  dropped,  and  throughout  it 
and  in  the  New  Testament  the  expressions 
are  the  "landof  Judsea"  and  "Judaea."  In 
a  wider  and  more  improper  sense  "Judeea" 
was  sometimes  apphed  to  the  whole  coun- 
try of  the  Canaanites,  its  ancient  inhabit- 
ants, and  even  in  the  gospels  we  read  of 
the  coasts  of  Judaea  "beyond  Jordan." 
Matt.  19 : 1 ;  Mark  10  : 1.  Judcea  was  strictly 
the  southern  district,  west  of  the  Jordan,  and 
south  of  Samaria.  It  was  made  a  portion 
of  the  Roman  province  of  Syria  after  Arch- 
elaus  was  deposed,  a.  d.  6,'  and  w^as  gov- 
erned by  a  procurator,  who  was  subject  to 
the  governor  of  Syria.  See  Canaan,  Pal- 
estine, and  Judah. 

Judaea,  tlie  Hill  Country  of.  The 
central  ridge  of  mountains  stretching  from 
north  to  south,  and  forming  as  it  w^ere  the 
backbone  of  the  land  of  Palestine.  Luke 
1:65. 

Judaea,  "Wilderness  of.  A  wild  and 
desolate  region  extending  from  the  hill- 
countrj'  near  Jerusalem  southeast  to  the 
Dead  Sea,  and  averaging  about  15  miles  in 
breadth.  Matt.  3:1.  It  isa  hmestone  coun- 
try, rough  and  barren,  with  only  patches 
of  grass.  It  seems  never  to  have  had  many 
inhabitants,  and  no  cities.  The  traditional 
scene  of  the  temptation  of  Christ  is  in  this 
district,  on  a  high  mountain  behind  Jeri- 
cho, very  desolate,  and  now  infested 
with  beasts  and  reptiles.  See  Matt.  4:1; 
Mark  1 :  13. 

Judali  (ju'dah),  praise.  1.  The  fourth 
son  of  Jacob  and  Leah,  w-as  born  in  Jleso- 
potamia.  Gen.  29  :  35.  The  name  was 
given  as  an  expression  of  the  mother's  grat- 
itude. We  know  more  of  him  than  of  the 
other  patriarchs  except  Joseph,  whose  life 
he  saved,  advising  the  sale.  Gen.  37  :  26- 
28.  His  marriage,  an  incident  in  his  son's 
life,  and  his  intrigue  Avith  Tamar  are  record- 
ed in  Gen.  38.  Judah  became  the  surety  for 
the  safety  of  Benjamin  on  the  second  jour- 
ney to  Egypt.  Gen.  43  : 3-10.  His  conduct 
is  worthy  of  all  praise,  and  his  plea  for 
Benjamin's  hberty  is  one  of  the  most  touch- 
ing speeches  in  the  Bible.  Gen.  44  :  14-34. 
He  went  down  into  Egvpt  with  three  sons. 
Gen.  46  :  12.  The  tribe  of  Judah  was  al- 
ways large  and  prominent,  vying  with 
Ephraim  for  the  supremacy.  The  prophetic 
blessing  which  his  father  x")ronounced  on 
Judah,  Gen.  49  :  8-12,  is  very  remarkable. 
It  describes  the  warhke  character  and  grad- 
132 


ually  increasing  strengtli  of  the  tribe,  com  p. 
Num.  2:3;  Josh.  14  :  li :  15  :  1  ;  Judg. 
1 : 1,  2 ;  1  Chron.  14  :  17  ;  Fs.  18  :  40 ;  Isa.  29  : 

1  (where  its  capital  is  called  Ariel,  "  lion  of 
God  ") ;  Rev.  5:5;  the  duration  of  its  power 
—viz.,  until  the  coming  of  Christ,  w^hen 
Judaea  became  a  province  of  Rome,  comp. 
Luke  2:1-7;  John  18  :  31 :  Acts  5  :  37 ;  and 
the  destruction  of  their  city,  a.  n.  70,  when 
the  Christian  dispensation  had  become  es- 
tablislied,  compare  Matt.  24 :  14 ;  Acts  2:8; 
Rom.  10  :  18,  in  the  glory  and  triumph  of 
the  Messiah. 

Judah,  the  Kingdom  of.  The  kingdom 
of  Judah  embraced  not  only  the  territory 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah  (see  below),  but  also 
included  the  larger  part  of  Benjamin  on 
the  northeast,  Dan  on  the  northwest,  and 
Simeon  on  the  south.  The  area  thus  under 
the  dominion  of  Judah  is  estimated  at  3435 
square  miles.  Besides  this,  Edom,  subdued 
by  David,  continued  faithful  to  Judah  for 
a  time,  and  the  Red  Sea  ports  furnished  an 
outlet  for  commerce. 

The  family  of  David  furnished  all  the  19 
kings  of  Judah,  but  the  eldest  son  did  not 
always  succeed.  Judah  outlasted  Israel 
135  years.  After  the  division  of  the  king- 
dom, B.  c.  975,  Judah  maintained  its  sepa- 
rate existence  for  389  years,  until  b.  c.  586. 
During  this  period  there  were  19  rulers,  all 
of  the  hneage  of  DaAid,  except  Athaliah. 
During  the  first  three  reigns  Israel  and  Ju- 
dah were  in  an  attitude  of  hostility.  Israel 
under  Jeroboam  was  signally  defeated.  2 
Chron.  13.  Later,  an  alliance  was  formed 
by  the  marriage  of  Jehoshaphat's  son  with 
Ahab's  daughter,  Athaliah,  1  Kings  22 ;  2 
Chron.  18,  who  usurped  the  crown.  The 
two  kingdoms  combined  against  Svria. 
The  two  great  foes  of  Judah  were  Egypt 
on  the  south  and  Assyria  on  the  east. 
From  Egypt  came  Shishak,  who  humbled 
Judah,  2  Chron.  12  :  2-12 ;  Zerah,  Avhose 
million  of  men  were  routed  by  king  Asa, 

2  Chron.  14  : 9-12  ;  and  Josiah  was  slain  at 
Megiddo.  2  Chron.  35  :  23.  The  children 
of  Ammon,  Moab,  and  Mount  Seir  also  in- 
vaded Judah  during  Jehoshaphat's  reign, 
but  they  only  destroyed  one  another.  2 
Chron.  20  :  22-25.  Tlie  armies  of  Assyria 
met  with  varied  fortune.  Tiglath-pileser 
distressed  Judah  during  the  reign  of  Ahaz, 
2  Chron.  28  :  20 ;  Sennacherib's  host  of  185,- 
000  men  was  destroyed  by  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  in  Hezekiah's'  reign,  2  Chron.  32 :  21 ; 
2  Kings  19  :  35 ;  Manasseh  was  carried  away 
captive  into  Babylon,  2  Chron.  33:11;  Je- 
hoiachin  was  also  made  captive ;  Zedekiah 
rebelled  against  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  was 
defeated,  his  sons  slain  before  his  eyes,  and 
he  made  captive  ;  Jerusalem  was  taken  in 
B.  c.  586,  and  the  history  of  the  kingdom  of 
Judah  was  ended. 

Judah,  Territory  of.  Extent. — The 
district  assigned  to  the  tribe  of  Judah  in 
the  Promised  Land,  with  its  cities,  is  de- 
scribed in  Josh.  15.  It  extended  across  the 
whole  of  Western  Palestine,  from  the  Dead 
Sea  on  the  east  to  the  Mediterranean  on 
the  west.  The  average  extent  of  this  dis- 
trict was  50  miles  from  east  to  west  and 
45  miles  from  north  to  south,  and  its  area 


J  CD  AS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


JUDGES 


about  half  that  of  the  State  of  Connecticut. 
A  portion  of  this  territory  was  subsequently 
cut  oif  for  Simeon,  which  thus  became  the 
frontier  tribe  on  the  south.  Josh.  19 : 1-9. 
A  portion  of  the  northwestern  part  was 
also  given  to  Dan.    Comp.  vs.  40-48 . 

The  territory  of  Judah  comprised  four 
regions  quite  distinct  in  physical  features  : 

1.  The  south  country,  or  Negeb,  where  the 
fertile  land  shaded  oflF  into  the  wilderness. 

2.  The  valley,  plain,  or  Shefelah,  lying  be- 
tween the  Mediterranean  and  the  central 
hill-country.  Josh.  15  :  33-47.  This  was  an 
exceedingly  fertile  country,  occupied  by 
the  Philistines,  who  constantly  disputed 
possession.  3.  The  hill-country,  occupying 
the  central  range  of  mountains.  Josh.  15  : 
48-60.  This  region  was  favorable  for  the 
olive  and  vine.  4.  The  wilderness,  sloping 
from  the  central  hills  to  the  Dead  Sea,  at 
which  it  terminates  in  precipitous  clifts. 
Josh.  15 :  61,  62.  This  barren  tract  has  evi- 
dently been  uncultivated  and  uninhabited 
from  the  remotest  times,  for  here  alone,  of 
all  Palestine,  are  found  no  traces  of  the 
ruins  of  former  cities.  An  exception  must 
be  made  of  the  fringe  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
where  were  six  cities.    Josh.  15  :  21-62. 

Judas  (ju'das).  1.  The  son  of  Jacob, 
"Judah"  in  R.  V.  Matt.  1 :  2,  3.  2.  The 
faithless  apostle  who  betrayed  his  master. 
Matt.  10  : 4 ;  Mark  3  :  19 ;  Luke  6  :  16.  He 
was  Simon's  son,  John  6  :71,  and  is  called 
Iscariot,  probably  from  his  birthplace,  per- 
haps from  Kerioth  in  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  25, 
or  from  Kartan,  or  Kartah,  in  Galilee.  Josh. 
21  :  32,  34.  Of  this  man's  earlier  life  we 
know  nothing,  nor  for  what  reason  he  was 
induced  to  follow  Jesus.  Why  our  Lord 
appointed  Judas  an  apostle,  the  sacred  nar- 
rative does  not  tell  us.  Jesus  knew  and 
expressed  his  knowledge  of  Iscariofs  char- 
acter. John  6  :  64,  70,  71.  In  calhng 
him  our  Lord  acted  only  in  accordance 
with  the  general  administration  of  his 
kingdom.  This  is  illustrated  by  one  of  his 
parables.  Matt.  13  :  24-30 ;  and  it  is  no  more 
than  we  continually  see,— ungodly  men  in 
place  and  power,  both  in  the  world  and  in 
the  church,  with  gifts  which  they  abuse 
and  responsibilities  which  increase  their 
condemnation.  It  has  often  been  a  puzzle 
to  those  who  did  not  understand  the  moral 
government  of  God,  comp.  Ps.  73  ;  but  he 
will  eventually  vindicate  his  wisdom  and 
his  justice.  Meanwhile  valuable  lessons 
of  warning  and  circumspection  are  taught 
by  the  fate  of  such  as  have  perverted  their 
privileges  to  their  own  ruin.  Judas  main- 
tained a  fair  character  among  his  fellow- 
apostles,  and  was  entrusted  with  the  cus- 
tody of  their  money,  John  12  : 6 ;  13  :  29  ; 
nor  do  they  seem  to  have  suspected  him 
even  when  our  Lord  was  distinctly  warn- 
ing them  that  one  of  their  number  would 
betray  him.  Matt.  26:21-24;  John  13:22. 
This  was  Judas'  question  to  the  priests : 
"What  will  ye  give  me?"  Matt.  26:15. 
Satan  espied  his  opportunity  and  took  it. 
Luke  22 : 3.  Probably  Judas  began  to  see 
that  he  was  suspected,  and,  when  the  Lord 
in  answer  to  his  hypocritical  question,  had 
distinctly  told  hini  of  his  treason,  full  of 


additional  passion,  he  went  recklessly  about 
his  work.  Matt.  26  :  25 ;  John  13  :  26-30. 
He  was  fulfilhng  prophecy,  but  was  uncon- 
scious of  it.  His  own  evil  heart  it  was  that 
prompted  him  ;  and  therefore  tflie  guilt  of 
his  deed  was  upon  himself  When  con- 
fronted with  the  results  of  his  base  treach- 
ery, he  was  seized  with  remorse,  returned 
the  bribe,  and  hanged  himself.  3.  One  de- 
scribed as  one  of  the  Lord's  brethren,  Matt. 
13  :  55,  called  also  Juda.  Mark  6  :  3  A.  V. 
An  interesting  story  is  related  of  his  family 
by  Eusebius.  The 'emperor  Domitian  was 
alarmed  by  what  he  had  heard  of  Messiah's 
kingdom,  and  ordered  some  of  the  descend- 
ants of  the  house  of  David  to  be  sought  out 
and  brought  to  him.  Those  so  presented 
to  the  emperor  were  the  grandsons  of  Ju- 
das ;  but  the  hardness  of  their  hands,  prov- 
ing that  they  were  but  ordinary  peasants, 
and  their  description  of  the  spiritual  na- 
ture of  the  new  sovereignty,  removed  all 
apprehensions.  They  were  let  go,  and  Uved 
on,  honored  as  the  Lord's  relatives,  into  the 
reign  of  Trajan.  4.  A  brother  of  James, 
and  one  of  the  apostles  ;  called  also  Thad- 
dseus  and  Lebbteus.  Matt.  10  :  3 ;  Mark 
3  :  18 ;  Luke  6  :  16 ;  John  14  :  22  ;  Acts  1  : 
13 ;  Matt.  13  :  55.  5.  Judas  of  Galilee,  a 
leader  of  an  insurrection  "  in  the  days  of 
taxing"—!  e.,  the  census— a.  d.  6,  and  who, 
according  to  GamaUel,  was  very  successful 
for  a  time,  but  was  ultimately  completely 
defeated.  Acts  5  :  37.  We  find  in  Josephus 
an  allusion  to  a  man,  who  is  there  said  to 
have  been  born  in  the  city  of  Gamala  in 
Gaulanitis,  and  to  have  been  the  founder 
of  a  new  sect,  which  did  not  differ  from 
that  of  the  Pharisees  save  in  a  fanatical 
love  of  liberty  and  refusal  to  support  the 
Roman  state.  6.  The  one  whose  house  in 
Straight  street,  Damascus,  sheltered  Paul 
during  his  blindness.  Acts  9  :  11, 17.  This 
Judas  may  have  kept  an  inn  ;  it  is  unhkely 
that  he  was  a  disciple.  7.  Judas,  surnamed 
Barsabas,  a  "  chief  man  among  the  breth- 
ren," a  "prophet,"  -w'ho  was  chosen  along 
with  Paul  and  Barnabas  and  Silas  to  carry 
the  decisions  of  the  council  of  Jerusalem, 
A.  D.  50,  to  Antioch.    Acts  15  :  22-33. 

Jiide  (jude),  Epistle  of.  It  is  referred 
to  by  C'lement  of  Alexandria,  Tertulhan, 
and'Origen.  It  was  probably  written  in 
Palestine,  about  a.  d.  65.  This  epistle  seems 
to  have  been  intended  to  guard  the  faith- 
ful against  prevalent  errors,  and  to  urge 
them  to  constancy  in  the  faith.  It  is  not 
improbable  that  Peter  had  read  Jude's 
epistle,  when  he  wrote  his  Second  epistle ; 
and  that  the  thoughts,  under  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  had  made  a  strong  im- 
pression upon  his  mind. 

Judges.  The  judges  were  rulers  sent  of 
God  to  deliver  the  Israelites  from  their  op- 
pressors. Their  power  extended  over  por- 
tions of  the  country  only,  and  some  of  them 
were  contemporaneous.  Their  chief  work 
was  that  of  deliverers  and  captains  in  war. 
While  Samuel  as  a  judge  gave  something 
like  a  settled  government  to  the  south, 
there  was  scope  for  the  irregular  exploits 
of  Samson  on  the  borders  of  the  Philistines. 
Samuel  at  last  estabUshed  his  authority  as 
133 


JUDGES,  BOOK  OP 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


JUSTIFICATION 


judge  and  prophet,  but  still  as  the  servant 
of  Jehovah,  only  to  see  it  so  abused  by  liis 
sons  as  to  exhaust  the  patience  of  the  peo- 
ple, who  at  length  demanded  a  king,  after 
the  pattern  of  the  surrounding  nations. 
The  foUomng  is  a  partial  list  of  the  judges, 
and  the  approximate  length  of  their  rule : 
First  oppression,  by  Mesopotamia— 8  years. 
First  judge  :  Othniel — 40  years.  Second  op- 
pression, by  INIoab— 18  years.  Second  judge : 
Ehud — 50  years ;  third  judge  :  Shamgar — 
unknown.  Third  oppression,  by  Jabin  and 
Sisera— 20  years.  Fourth  judge  :  Deborah 
and  Barak — 40  years.  Fourth  oppression, 
by  Midian — 7  years.  Fifth  judge  :  Gideon 
— 40  years  ;  sixth  judge :  Abimelech— 3 
years  ;  seventh  judge  :  Tola— 23  years ; 
eighth  judge :  Jair— 22  years.  Fifth  op- 
pression, by  Ammon — 18  yeai-s.  Ninth  judge: 
Jephthah — 6  years ;  tenth  judge  :  Ibzan— 7 
years ;  eleventh  judge  :  Elon — 10  years : 
twelfth  judge  :  Abdon— 8  years.  Sixth  op- 
pression, by  the  Philistines — 40  years.  Thir- 
teenth judge  :  Samson— 20  years  ;  four- 
teenth judge  :  Eh — 40  years  ;  fifteenth 
judge :  Samuel. 

Judges,  Book  of,  derives  its  title  from 
the  fact  that  it  gives  us  the  history  of  the 
Israelites  under  the  administration  of  15 
Judges,  viz.,  from  18  or  20  years  after  the 
death  of  Joshua  to  the  time  of  Saul.  The 
chronology  is  uncertain.  This  book  has 
been  well  styled  a  commentaiy  upon  the 
text:  "Righteousness  exalteth  a  nation; 
but  sin  is  a  reproach  to  any  people."  Prov. 
14  :  34.  It  may  be  divided  into  two  parts : 
1.  Chaps.  3-16,  an  account  of  God's  suc- 
cessive deliverances;  2.  Chaps.  17-21,  an 
account,  detached  from  the  preceding  and 
out  of  chronological  order,  of  the  invasion 
of  Laish  by  the  Danites,  in  connection  with 
the  storj^  of  Micah  and  his  priest,  Jonathan, 
chai)S.  i7-18;  and  an  account  of  the  re- 
venge of  the  insult  to  the  Levite,  chaps. 
19-21,  the  whole  prefaced  with  an  introduc- 
tion, chaps.  1-3.  The  book  is  quite  evi- 
dently a  compilation  from  existent  and 
trustworthy  materials.  Its  date  is  uncer- 
tain. 

Jiidginent,  the  Day  of.  God  is  called 
"  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth,"  Gen.  18  :  25, 
and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he  will 
righteously  administer  his  dominions.  In 
the  world,' however,  the  ungodly  are  often 
seen  to  prosper,  and  the  righteous  to  be  op- 
pressed. And  this  has  sometimes  griev- 
ously perplexed  God's  servants,  who  have 
not  known  how  to  reconcile  the  fact  with  his 
holy  justice.  Ps.  73.  Scripture,  therefore, 
points  onward  to  a  time  when  all  these  ap- 
parent anomalies  will  be  explained,  when 
a  great  assize  -will  sit,  and  a  just  recompense 
of  reward  will  be  meted  out  to  men.  Eccl. 
11 : 9  ;  12  :  14  ;  Acts  24  :  25.  This  judgment, 
we  are  told,  shall  be  exercised  bv  Christ. 
Acts  10  :  42  ;  17  :  31 ;  Rom.  14 :  10.  Men  might 
be  judged  either  individually,  each  on  his 
departure  from  the  world,  or  collectively. 
Scripture  gives  us  reason  to  beheve  that 
the  latter  will  be  the  course  of  God's  pro- 
cedure, Matt.  25  :  31-46 :  Rev.  20  :  12,  13  ; 
and  a  day  is  spoken  of,  sometimes  called 
the  "  last 'day,"  John  11 :24,  sometimes  the 
134 


"great  day,"  Jude  6,  when  this  shall  be. 
The  space  of  time  to  be  so  occupied  it  is 
impossible  for  us  to  calculate ;  about  the 
nearness  or  distance  of  that  day  it  is  use- 
less to  speculate.  Matt.  24  :  36  ;  it  will  be  a 
strict  and  searching  judgment,  Matt.  12  :  36, 
so  that  the  practical  lesson  we  have  to  learn 
is,  to  be  prepared,  to  judge  ourselves,  that 
we  be  not  judged  and  condemned  of  the 
Lord.    1  John  2 :  28  ;  4 :  17. 

Judgment  Hall.  The  word  prsetnrium 
is  so  translated  five  times  in  the  A.  V.  of 
the  New  Testament,  and  in  those  five  pas- 
sages it  denotes  two  different  places.  1.  In 
John  18 :  28,  ?>Z ;  19  : 9,  it  is  the  residence,  R. 
v.,  "palace,"  which  Pilate  occupied  when 
he  visited  Jerusalem.  The  site  of  Pilate's 
prsetorium  in  Jerusalem  has  given  rise  to 
much  dispute,  some  su])posing  it  to  be  the 
palace  of  king  Herod,  others  the  tower  of 
Antonia ;  but  it  was  probably  the  latter, 
which  was  then  and  long  aftervv'ard  the  cita- 
del of  Jerusalem.  2.  In  Acts  23  :  35  Herod's 
judgment  hall  (R.  V.  reads  palace)  or  prse- 
torium  in  Csesarea  was  doubtless  a  part  of 
that  magnificent  range  of  buildings  the 
erection  of  which  by  king  Herod  is  de- 
scribed in  Josephus.  The  word  "  palace," 
or  "  Caesar's  court,"  in  the  A.  V.,  Phil.  1  : 
13,  R.  v.,  "  prsetorian,"  is  a  translation  of 
the  same  word  prsetorium.  It  may  here 
have  denoted  the  quarter  of  that  detach- 
ment of  the  prsetorian  guards  which  was 
in  immediate  attendance  upon  the  empe- 
ror, and  had  barracks  in  Mount  Palatine  at 
Rome. 

Julius  (jil'li-us  or  jid'yus).  A  centurion 
of  Augustan  Band  (which  see),  under 
whose  charge  Paul  was  conveyed  to  Rome. 
Acts  chaps.  27,  28.  He  Mas  courteous  to 
the  apostle,  and  may  be  the  same  with  Ju- 
lius Priscus,  subsequently  prefect  of  the 
prsetorian  guards. 

Juniper.  Unqviestionably,  the  original 
intends  the  reiem  {Retama  raetam),  a  shrub 
of  the  broom  family,  attaining  a  height  of 
about  12  feet.  Under  its  shade  travellers 
are  glad  to  creep  on  a  sultry  day  for  a  noon- 
time nap,  and  thus  Elijah  lay  and  slept 
after  his  long  journey.    1  Kings  19 : 4,  5. 

Jupiter  {ju'pi-ter).  The  heathen  god 
worshipped  by  the  Greeks  under  the  name 
of  Zeus.  He  'was  supposed  to  exercise  su- 
preme power ;  but  the  actions  attributed  to 
him  were  frequently  in  the  highest  degree 
sensual  and  abominable.  Antiochus  Epiph- 
anes  dedicated  the  temyjle  at  Jerusalem 
to  this  deity  as  Zeus  Olym plus,  that  on  Ger- 
izim  tohirn.  as  Zeus  Xenius,  the  "defender 
of  strangers."  2  Mace.  6:2.  He  is  two  or 
three  times  mentioned  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment.    Acts  14  :  12,  13  ;  19  :  35. 

Justification.  A  tenn  used  to  imply 
the  declaring  or  accounting  of  a  person 
just  or  righteous  before  God.  If  any  one 
were  free  from  sin,  if  he  perfectly  obeyed 
God's  commandments,  he  would  'really  be 
just,  not  exposed  to  the  penalty  of  trans- 
gression. Rom.  2  :  13.  But  mankind,  as 
sinful,  are  not  just  in  this  sense,  and  can- 
not be  so  treated.  I's.  143  :  2 ;  Rom.  3:19, 
20,  23 ;  1  John  1 :  8.  If,  then,  they  are  to  be 
freed  from  the  condemnation  of  sin,  if  they 


KAB  OR  CAB 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


KEILAH 


are  to  be  dealt  with  as  those  not  amenable 
to  God's  law,  it  must  be  not  by  tlie  estab- 
lishment of  their  innocence,  but  by  the 
remission  of  their  guilt.  And  it  was  for 
this  that  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  came  into 
the  world,  and  oftered  himself  a  sacrifice 
for  sin,  that  men  might  be  delivered  from 
the  condemnation  into  which  their  sins 
had  cast  them.  Rom.  3 :  24,  25 ;  2  Cor.  5  : 
21 ;  1  John  1:7;  2:2.  The  Scripture  there- 
fore teaches  that  Ave  are  justitied  by  faith 
in  Christ.  Rom.  3  :  28 ;  Gal.  2  :  16.  This 
doctrine  is  thus  expressed  in  the  eleventh 
article  of  the  Anglican  church  :  "  We  are 
accounted  righteous  before  God  only  for 
the  merit  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ  by  faith,  and  not  for  our  own  works 
or  deservings.  Wherefore  that  we  are  jus- 
tified by  faith  only  is  a  most  wholesome 
doctrine,  and  very  full  of  comfort."  The 
originating  cause  of  justification  is  God's 
free  grace  and  loving  pitv  for  a  fallen  world. 
John  3:16;  Rom.  5:S;'Eph.  2:4-8.  The 
meritorious  cause  is  the  sinless  life  and 
sacrificial  death  of  Christ,  Rom.  4 :  25,  for 
the  virtue  of  which  God  could  without 
moral  fault,  or  detriment  to  justice,  remit 
sin.  The  instrumental  cause  is  faith, 
whereby  we  receive  the  atonement,  ac- 
cepting God's  mercy  on  the  teniison  which 
he  offers  it.  Rom.  3  :  30  ;  5 :  11.  Those  who 
are  so  justified  are  at  peace  with  God,  and 
have  all  the  advantages  of  such  a  state  of 
reconcihation.  Rom.  5:1,2.  Justified  men 
desire  and  endeavor  to  walk  in  holiness  of 
life.  Rom.  8  : 1.  Gratitude  for  the  mercy 
received  will  incline  them  to  do  that  which 
is  well  pleasing  in  God's  sight.  They  feel 
that  they  have  been  purchased  to  be  his, 
and  must  glorifv  him  in  their  body  and 
their  spirit.  1  Cor.  6 :  20.  This  will  be 
their  mark,  the  token,  the  proof  that  they 
are  no  longer  enemies,  but  friends;  not 
sentenced  culprits,  but  beloved  children. 
Should  any  not  so  walk  and  act,  they  can- 
not be  God's  children.  Such  a  faith  as 
theirs,  a  faith  which  worketh  not  by  love, 
is  empty  and  useless.  Jas.  2  :  17,  26.  Abra- 
ham's obedience  was  the  proof  that  he 
possessed  that  faith  which  was  counted  to 
him  for  righteousness.  Of  justification, 
then,  it  may  be  briefly  said  that— 1,  its 
source  is  the  grace  of  God ;  2,  its  ground 
the  mediatorial  work  of  Christ ;  3,  faith  the 
way  by  which  we  receive  it ;  and,  4,  the 
holy  life  of  a  believer  the  evidence  of  its 
possession ;  or,  yet  more  briefly,  it  is  orig- 
inally by  grace,  meritoriously  by  Christ, 
instrumentally  by  faith,  evidentially  by 
good  works. 

K 

Kab  or  Cab.    See  Measures. 

Kabzeel  {kab'ze-el),  gathered  by  God. 
Called  Jekabzeel  when"  rebuilt  after  the 
captivity,  Neh.  11  :  25,  a  city  of  the  tribe  of 
Judah,  situated  farthest  to  the  south,  Josh. 
15 :  21 ;  was  the  birthplace  of  Benaiah,  the 
son  of  Jehoiada.  2  Sam.  23  :  20  ;  1  Chron. 
11 :  22. 

Kadesh,   sacred,  or  Kadesli-barnea 


(kd'desh-bdr'ne-ah).  A  place  on  the  south- 
ern frcmtier  of  Canaan.  It  was  '•  eleven 
days,"  or  about  165  miles,  distant  from  Ho- 
reb,  Deut.  1:2:  on  the  border  of  Edom, 
Num.  20  :  16 ;  not  far  from  Gerar,  Gen.  20  : 
1 ;  to  the  east  of  Bered,  Gen.  16  :  14 ;  in  the 
desert  of  Zin,  Num.  20  : 1 ;  27 :  14  ;  33  :  36  ; 
Deut.  32  :  51 ;  and  the  point  to  wliich  Che- 
dorlaomer  returned,  having  driven  the  Ho- 
rites  over  the  Arabah  into  the  Et  Tih  region, 
and  then  going  northward.  Gen.  14  :  7. 
In  Scripture  it  is  sometimes  called  Kadesh 
alone,  and  sometimes  Kadesh-barnea,  and 
is  identical  with  Meribah-kadesh,  Ezek.  47  : 
19 ;  Josh.  15  : 3,  23  ;  with  En-Mishpat  =  the 
fountain  of  judgment,  Gen.  14  : 7 ;  and  with 
Rithmah  =  the  broom,  Ninn.  33 :  18,  thus 
called  from  a  shrub  growing  in  the  desert. 
Spies  were  sent  into  the  land  of  Canaan. 
The  people  rebelled,  and  were  condemned 
to  40  years  sojourn  in  the  wilderness,  Num. 
13 :  14*,  during  which  time  Kadesh  seems  to 
have  been  their  chief  centre.  At  the  end 
of  40  years  they  encamped  again  at  Kadesh 
for  a  march  to  Canaan.  Num.  20  : 1.  Here 
Miriam  died  and  was  buried,  and  the  rock 
was  smitten  for  water.  Num.  20  : 1-21.  It 
was  40  to  50  miles  directly  south  of  Beer- 
sheba. 

Kanab  {kci'nah),  place  of  reeds.  1.  A 
town  in  the  district  of  Asher,  Josh.  19  :  28  ; 
now  a  village,  'Ain  Kana,  six  miles  south- 
east of  Tyre.  2.  A  river  fonning  the  boun- 
dary between  Ephraim  and  Manasseh.  Josh. 
16:8;  17:9. 

Kedar  {ke'dar),  dark-skinned.  Second 
son  of  Ishmael.  Gen.  25  :  13.  From  him 
descended  the  leading  tribes  of  Arabia  and 
of  the  land  east  of  Palestine.  They  and 
the  country  bear  the  name  of  Kedar.  Isa. 
21  :  16 ;  Jer.  49  :  28.  They  were  nomads, 
living  in  black  hair-tents,  Song  of  Sol.  1 : 
5,  as  the  modern  Bedouins  do,  or  in  "v^illages, 
Isa.  42:11,  and  were  rich  in  flocks  and 
herds,  and  noted  as  archers  and  mighty 
men. 

Kedesh  (ke'desh),  sanctuary.  1.  A  town 
on  the  southern  boundary  of  Judah,  Josh. 
15  :  23  ;  perhaps  identical  with  Kadesh  or 
Kadesh-barnea.  2.  A  city  of  Issachar ;  as- 
signed to  the  Gershonite  Levites.  1  Chron. 
6  :  72.  In  the  parallel  hst,  Josh.  21  :  28,  its 
name  is  Kishon.  3.  A  fortified  city  belong- 
ing to  the  tribe  of  Naphtali;  allotted  to 
the  Gershonite  Levites,  Josh.  20 :  7 ;  21 :  ;?2 ; 
1  Chron.  6  :  76,  and  made  a  city  of  refuge. 
It  was  the  residence  of  Barak,  Judg.  4  :  6, 
and  here  Deborah  assembled  the  tribes  of 
Zebulon  and  Naphtah.  Judg.  4  :  11.  It 
was  taken  by  Tiglath-pileser  in  the  reign 
of  Pekah,  2  Kings  15 :  29,  and  here  the  bat- 
tle took  place  between  Jonathan  Macca- 
bseus  and  Demetrius.  1  Mace.  11 :  63.  Now 
it  is  a  small  village,  Kades,  ten  miles  north 
of  Safed  and  four  miles  northwest  of  Me- 
rom,  beautifully  situated  on  a  high  ridge 
jutting  out  in  the  depressed  basin  through 
which  the  Jordan  flows  to  the  Sea  of  Me- 
rom.  It  is  surrounded  with  ruins  ;  numer- 
ous sarcophagi  have  been  found  here. 

Keilah  (kci'lah  or  kei'lah),  fortress.  A 
citv  in  the  lowland  of  Judah,  near  the 
PhiUstine  frontier.  Josh.  15  :  44.  When 
135 


KENATH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY       KINGS,  THE  BOOKS  OF 


captured  and  plundered  by  a  Philistine  in- 
vasion David  came  to  its  rescue,  but  the  in- 
habitants treacherously  plotted  with  Saul 
for  his  betrayal.  1  Sam.  23  : 1-13.  After 
the  captivity  its  rulers  aided  in  restoring 
the  walls  of  Jerusalem,  Neh.  3  :  17,  18 ;  now 
Kila,  seven  miles  east  of  Beit  Jibrin. 

Kenatli  {ke'nath),  possession.  A  city  of 
Gilead,  in  the  tribe  of  Manasseh ;  captured 
by  Nobah,  Num.  32  :  42 ;  a  place  of  splen- 
dor and  importance  under  Rome ;  a  Chris- 
tian bishop's  see;  20  miles  from  Bostra; 
now  called  Kunawat. 

Kenite  {ke'nite  or  kin'Ue),  smith.  A  tribe 
of  Midian,  between  Palestine  and  Sinai, 
and  east  of  the  Gulf  of  Akabah.  Their 
land  was  promised  to  Abraham.  Gen.  15  : 
19.  Jethro,  Moses'  father-in-law,  was  a 
Kenite.  Judg.  1  :  16.  They  were  men- 
tioned in  Balaam's  prophecy.  Num.  24 :  21. 
Part  of  the  tribe  joined  Israel  and  hved 
south  of  Judah.  Judg.  1 :  16.  One  family 
migrated  to  the  far  north.  There  Heber 
dwelt.  Judg.  4  :  11.  The  Kenites  were 
friendly  with  the  Canaanites,  Amalekites, 
and  Israelites.  Saul  and  David  spared 
them  in  their  raids  on  Amalek  on  account 
of  their  former  kindness.  1  Sam.  15  : 6  ; 
27  :  10 ;  30  :  29.  A  family  of  Kenites  came 
of  Hemath,  father  of  the  house  of  Rechab. 
1  Chron.  2 :  55. 

Kidron  or  Cedron,  John  18: 1,  A.  V., 
(kldfron  or  ke'dron),  or  Ketlron,  2  Sam.  15 : 
23 ;  1  Kings  15  :  13 ;  black  brook.  From  a 
Hebrew  root  signifying  "black,"  not  from 
cedars,  cedar-brook.  It  is  a  small  stream, 
dry  in  summer,  but  growing  into  a  torrent 
in  the  rainy  season  ;  rises  1}-^  miles  north- 
west of  Jerusalem  ;  runs  in  a  southeastern 
direction  until  it  reaches  the  northwestern 
shore  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Here  Athaliah  was 
executed,  2  Kings  11 :  16 ;  here  Maachah's 
idols  were  burnt,  1  Kings  15 :  13 ;  2  Chron. 
15 :  16  ;  and  hither  the  impurities  and  abom- 
inations of  idol-worship  were  regularly 
carried  and  destroyed.  2  Chron.  29  :  16 ; 
30  :  14  ;  2  Kings  23  : 4,  6,  12.  In  the  time  of 
Josiah  it  became  the  common  burial-place 
of  the  city,  2  Kings  23  :  16,  and  so  it  is  to- 
day. The  two  events,  however,  connected 
with  it,  and  which  give  it  its  greatest  in- 
terest, are  David's  crossing  it  on  his  flight 
from  Jerusalem  when  Absalom  rebelled,  2 
Sam.  15  :  23,  30  ;  and  Christ's  crossing  it  on 
his  way  to  Gethsemane.  John  18  : 1 ;  INIark 
14 :  26;  Luke  22  :  39.  As  Csesar  crossed  the 
Rubicon  for  the  mihtary  conquest  of  the 
world,  so  Christ  crossed  the  Kedron  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world. 

Kingdom  of  God,  of  Chi'ist,  of 
Heaven.  These  terms  describe  :  1,  a  life 
of  righteous  allegiance  to  Christ,  entered 
by  faith,  lived  by  love,  and  crowned  with 
glorj' ,  Matt.  6  :  33,  etc. ;  2,  the  condition  of 
things  Christ  came  to  explain,  Luke  1  :  33 ; 
Acts  1  :  3,  and  to  bring  on  earth,  Matt.  4 : 
17 :  3,  Christ's  rule  over  Israel,  Matt.  21 :  13  ; 
4,  the  rule  that  God  ofllered  or  committed 
to  Israel,  Matt.  21 :  43  :  1  Chron.  17  :  14  ;  5, 
the  state  of  things  in  the  history  of  the 
church  during  the  conflict  on  earth  of  the 
so-called  kingdom  of  grace,  preparatory  to 
the  knigdom  of  glory,  Matt.  13 ;  6,  Christ's 
136 


rule  in  spiritual  and  eternal  righteousness 
over  the  redeemed  earth,  Rev.  12  :  10,  in 
contrast  mth  the  world-powers,  Dan.  7  : 
18 ;  then  the  kingdom  will  destroy  and 
take  the  place  of  the  four  monarchies, 
Dan.  7,  and  have  its  glorious  manifestation ; 

7,  the  \'isible  glory  of  Christ,  Matt.  16  :  28 ; 

8,  the  rule  of  God  the  Father  over  earth 
and  heaven,  Matt.  6  :  10  ;  9,  the  heavenly 
state.  Matt.  8  :  11.  The  kingdom  of  God 
is  perfectly  established  in  the  heavens. 
Matt.  6 :  10.  The  power  and  glory  of  the 
divine  kingdom  are  shown  in  a  measure  in 
creation  and  providence.  From  the  moral 
kingdom  the  earth  has  revolted.  God  re- 
established it  in  Israel,  taking  the  king- 
ship himself  Ex.  19  :  6  ;  Hos.  13  :  10.  He 
made  the  kingship  visible  in  David,  1  Sam. 
16,  and  pennanent  in  his  family.  Ps.  89  : 
20,  28,  36.  The  kingdom  ceased  as  a  visible 
power,  with  the  loss  of  its  inner  spirit, 
when  the  nation  lapsed  and  persisted  in 
idolatry.  The  prophets  foretold  its  restora- 
tion, Dan.  12  : 7-13 ;  Ps.  2 :  Isa.  2 ;  Mic.  4 ; 
Jer.  23 : 5  ;  Ezek.  34 :  23 ;  John  the  Baptist 
came  to  announce  it.  Matt.  3 :  2.  Jesus 
Christ  preached  it.  Matt.  4  :  17 ;  explained 
its  character  and  demands,  as,  for  instance, 
that  its  citizens  must  be  holy,  meek,  Christ- 
like, etc.,  that  when  established  it  will  be 
a  condition  of  peace,  puritv,  and  glorv, 
Matt.  25  :  34;  Mark  9  :  47;  'Acts  14  :  22; 
Christ  came  as  the  King  to  Jerusalem,  Luke 
19  :  38 ;  comp.  Luke  1 :  32,  but  was  rejected, 
and  took  the  kingdom  from  Israel.  Matt. 
21 :  43.  He  taught  its  mysteries  to  the  dis- 
ciples, especially  after  his  resurrection, 
Acts  1:3;  and  sent  them  forth  to  preach 
it.  He  declared  that  the  time  of  its  mani- 
festation was  known  only  to  the  Father. 
Acts  1:7.  He  laid  the  foundations  of  it  on 
the  day  of  Pentecost  by  the  outpouring  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  rules  it  from  his  throne 
in  heaven.  The  disciples  went  everywhere 
preaching  the  word  of  grace,  1  Thess.  2 : 
12,  and  persuading  men  to  enter  the  king- 
dom bv  faith  and  holiness.  Acts  8  :  12 ;  20 : 
25 ;  28 :  23.  The  kingdom  is  to  be  fully 
manifested  at  the  coming  of  Christ,  the 
Son  of  man.  2  Tim.  4:1;  Dan.  7  :  13 ;  Matt. 
13  :  43 ;  Luke  22  :  29.  At  "  the  end  "  Christ 
is  to  deliver  up  to  the  Father  the  mediato- 
rial kingdom  that  he  received  at  his  ascen- 
sion, Eph.  1 :  20,  after  having  reigned  and 
put  down  all  rule,  authority,  and  power, 
and  all  enemies  under  his  feet,  1  Cor.  15 : 
24  ;  and  the  kingdom  of  God,  without  dis- 
tinction of  persons,  shall  be  complete  and 
forever.  Heb.  1  :  8.  The  members  of  the 
"  invisible  church  "  are  citizens  of  the  king- 
dom of  heaven. 

Kings,  the  Books  of.  In  the  Hebrew 
canon  they  formed  one  book,  as  did  the 
books  of  Samuel,  w^hich  were  also  called 
books  of  the  Kings.  The  two  books  of 
Kings  deal  especially  "\\ath  the  theocratic 
promise  of  2  Sam.  7  :"l2  ;  see  1  Kings  14  :7- 
11 ;  15  :  29 ;  16  : 1-7 ;  and  treat  the  history 
from  the  kingly  side,  and  show  the  evil  of 
schism  and  the  worship  of  idols  set  up  for 
pohtical  reasons,  as  by  Solomon,  1  Kings 
11,  and  Jeroboam,  1  Kings  12  :  26.  The 
reign  of  Solomon  is  described,  with  a  mi- 


KIR 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


KORAH 


nute  account  of  the  glorious  temple  and 
the  royal  houses.  The  stoiy  of  the  revolt 
of  the  larger  part  of  the  land  to  form  the 
kingdom  of  Israel  follows,  and  of  the  fre- 
quent changes  of  dynasty,  no  less  than 
seven,  which  furnished  19  kings,  every  one 
evil,  during  the  253  years  of  its  existence. 
Captivity  of  the  best  of  the  land  closed  the 
history  of  this  kingdom.  The  same  books 
also  show  that  David's  royal  house  contin- 
ued unbroken  through  a  series  of  19  kings, 
reigning  in  Jerusalem  about  130  years 
longer,  till  Judah  was  punished  for  its 
idolatry.  See  list  of  kings  and  prophets  in 
Appendix. 

The  author  cannot  be  identified.  An- 
cient tradition  in  the  Talmud  names  Jere- 
miah ;  some  have  supposed  them  compiled 
by  Ezra  or  Baruch.  The  books,  originally 
one,  have  a  very  marked  unity  of  design, 
plan,  and  style,  and  were  first  divided  in 
the  Septuagint.  They  are  in  large  measure 
a  compilation  from  existent  documents. 
They  have  always  had  a  place  in  the  Jew- 
ish canon.  The  concise  narrative  is  illus- 
trated, enlarged,  and  confirmed  by  the 
books  of  Isaiah  and  Jeremiah.  This  his- 
tory is  referred  to  in  the  New  Testament, 
Luke  4  :  25 ;  Acts  7  :  47  ;  Rom.  11 :  2 ;  Jas.  5 : 
17,  and  modern  research  is  continually 
bringing  new,  evidence  to  the  truth  of  the 
history. 

Kir  {kir),  wall,  or  place  surrounded  with 
walls.  The  country  whence  the  Syrians 
emigrated  when  they  came  to  settle  in  the 
region  north  of  Palestine,  and  to  which 
Tiglath-pileser  sent  the  captive  Syrians 
after  the  conquest  of  Damascus.  2  Kings 
16  : 9 ;  Amos  1:5;  9:7.  About  the  location 
of  the  place  scholars  disagree,  some  placing 
it  in  Armenia,  on  the  river  Kar ;  others 
identifying  it  with  Carena,  or  Carna,  in 
Media. 

Kir-haraseth  {kir'hdr'a-sUh),  brick  for- 
tress, 2  Kings  3  :  25  A.V. ;  or  Kir-liaresetli, 
Isa.  16  : 7 ;  or  Kir-liaresli  {kir-hd'resh),  Isa. 
16  :  11  A.  V. ;  or  Kir-lieres  (kir-he'res),  Jer. 
48: 31,  36  ;  or  simply  Kirof  Moab,  Isa.  15  : 
1.  A  strong  fortress  in  Moab,  situated  near 
the  southeastern  shore  of  the  Dead  Sea.  It 
is  now  called  Kerak. 

K  i  r  j  a  t  li-a  r  b  a  (kir'jath-dr'bah),  R.  V., 
Kiriath-arba.  The  city  of  Arba,  Arba  being 
its  founder,  or  the  city  of  Four— Abraham, 
Isaac,  Jacob,  and  Adam  having  been  buried 
there— is  mentioned  Gen.  23  :  2 ;  35  :  27  ; 
Josh.  14  :  15 :  15  :  13,  54 ;  20  :  7  ;  21 :  11 ;  Judg. 
1  :  10 ;  Neh.  11  :  25.  See  H  e  b  r  o  n  and 
Mamre. 

Kirjatli-jearim  (kir'jath-je'a-rim),  R.  V., 
kiriath-jearim,  the  city  of  woods.  One  of 
the  four  cities  of  the  Gibeonites,  Josh.  9 : 
17,  situated  on  the  border  of  Judah  and 
Benjamin,  Josh.  15  : 9 ;  18  :  14,  15,  but  be- 
longing to  Judah,  Josh.  15 :  60 ;  Judg.  18  : 
12  ;  was  also  called  Baalah,  Josh.  15  : 9, 10, 
or  Baale  of  Judah,  2  Sam.  6  : 2,  or  Kirjath- 
baal.  Hither  the  ark  w^as  brought  'from 
Beth-shemesh,  1  Sam.  6 :  21 ;  7  : 1,  2,  and 
here  it  remained  until  it  was  removed  bv 
David.  1  Chron.  13  : 5  ;  2  Chron.  1 : 4.  The 
prophet  Urijah,  who  was  put  to  death  bv 
Jehoiakim,  Jer.  26  :  20,  was  born  here,  and 


after  the  captivity  the  people  of  the  city 
returned  in  numbers  to  it.    Neh.  7  :  2'j. 

Kishon  {kt'shon),  bending,  curved,  or  in 
one  place,  Ps.  83 : 9,  Kisou  {kVson),  the 
present  Nahr  MukS.tta,  a  river  which  drains 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  passes  through  the 
plain  of  Acre,  and  falls  into  the  IMediterra- 
nean.  Only  the  lower  part  of  it  is  peren- 
nial, fed  by  some  springs  at  the  foot  of 
Mount  Carmel.  The  upper  part,  rising  on 
Tabor  and  Little  Hermon,  is  dry  in  the 
summer,  but  becomes  a  torrent  in  the  win- 
ter, rushing  along  with  great  impetuosity 
and  transforming  parts  of  the  plains  it 
traverses  into  swamps.  The  total  defeat 
of  Sisera,  Judg.  4:7;  5 :21,  and  the  execu- 
tions of  the  idol-priests  by  Elijah,  1  Kings 
18  :  40,  took  place  on  the  shores  of  this 
river. 

Kiss.  Kissing  the  hps  in  salutation  was 
customary  among  near  relatives  of  both 
sexes.  Gen.  29  :  11 ;  Song  of  Sol.  8  : 1.  Be- 
tween individuals  of  the  same  sex,  and  in 
a  limited  degree  between  those  of  different 
sexes,  the  kiss  on  the  cheek  as  a  mark  of 
respect  or  an  act  of  salutation  has  at  all 
times  been  customary  in  the  East.  In  the 
Christian  Church  the  kiss  of  charity  was 
practiced  not  only  as  a  friendly  salutation, 
but  as  an  act  symbohcal  of  love  and  Chris- 
tian brotherhood.  Rom.  16 :  16 ;  1  Cor.  16  : 
20  ;  2  Cor.  13 :  12 ;  1  Thess.  5 :  26 ;  1  Pet.  5  : 
14.  Among  the  Arabs  the  women  and 
children  kiss  the  beards  of  their  husbands 
or  fathers.  The  superior  returns  the  salute 
by  a  kiss  on  the  forehead.  In  Egypt  an 
inferior  kisses  the  hand  of  a  superioV,  gen- 
erally on  the  back,  but  sometimes,  as  a  spe- 
cial favor,  on  the  palm  also.  Kissing  is 
spoken  of  in  Scripture  as  a  mark  of  respect 
or  adoration  to  idols.  1  Kings  19  :  18  ;  Hos. 
13:2. 

Knop.  An  ornament  of  the  golden  can- 
dlestick, Ex.  25  :  31 ;  37  :  17,  and  elsewhere, 
probably  formed  hke  a  pomegranate.  Also 
a  carved  ornament  of  the  cedar-work  of 
the  temple,  and  the  molten  sea,  1  Kings  6 : 
18 ;  7 :  24,  perhaps  hke  wild  gourds  or  cu- 
cumbers. 

Kohath  (ko'hath),  assembly.  One  of  the 
three  sons  of  Levi,  from  whom  the  three 
principal  di'sasions  of  the  Levites  derived 
their  origin  and  their  name.  Gen.  46  :  11 ; 
Ex.  6  :  16.  In  the  journeyings  of  the  taber- 
nacle the  sons  of  Kohath  (Kohathites)  had 
charge  of  the  most  holy  portions  of  the 
vessels.  Num.  4.  Of  the  personal  history 
of  Kohath  we  know  nothing,  except  that 
he  came  down  to  Egypt  with  Levi  and  Ja- 
cob, Gen.  46  :  11 ;  that  his  sister  was  Joche- 
bed,  Ex.  6  :  20,  and  that  he  Uved  to  the  age 
of  133  years.    Ex.  6 :  18. 

KoraU  (ko'rah),  ice  or  baldness.  1.  Sec- 
ond son  of  Esau  and  Aholibamah,  a  prince 
of  Edom.  Gen.  36  : 5,  14,  18.  2.  A  son  of 
Hebron,  tribe  of  Judah.  1  Chron.  2 :  43.  3. 
A  Levite  who  rebelled  against  INIosesand 
Aaron.  He  was  a  cousin  of  Moses,  for 
their  fathers  Izhar  and  Amram  were  broth- 
ers. Ex.  6  :  16-21.  Korah  and  the  250  Le- 
vites whom  he  had  enticed  to  join  him 
were  destroyed  by  fire  from  the  Lord  ;  while 
Dathan  and  Abiram  were  swallowed  by  the 
137 


LABAN 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


LAMP 


miraculous  opening  of  the  eartli.  Num.  16 ; 
Ps.  106 :  17,  18 ;  Jude  11.  But  Korah's  chil- 
dren escaped,  Num.  26  :  11 ;  and  the  Korah- 
ites,  or  "sous  of  Korah,"  were  a  cele- 
brated family  of  doorkeepers,  singers,  and 
poets  in  the  time  of  David.  1  Chron.  9  :  17- 
19 ;  26  : 1 ;  2  Chron.  20 :  19.  To  them  are  in- 
scribed several  psahns.  Ps.  42,  44-49,  84, 
85,  87,  88. 


liaban  (Id'ban),  white.  1.  Son  of  Bethuel, 
brother  of  Kebekah  and  father  of  Leah 
and  Rachel.  The  elder  branch  of  Abram's 
family  remained  at  Haran,  in  Mesopota- 
mia, when  Abraham  removed  to  the  land 
of  Canaan.  There  Laban  was,  and  took 
the  leading  part  in  tlie  betrothal  of  his 
sister  Rebekah  to  Isaac.  Gen.  24 :  10,  29- 
60  ;  27  :  43 ;  29  : 5.  Laban  again  appears  as 
the  host  of  his  nephew  Jacob  at  Haran. 
Gen.  29  :  13, 14.  Jacob  married  Rachel  and 
Leah,  daughters  of  Laban,  serving  for 
them  20  to  40  years.  But  Laban's  conduct 
toward  his  nephew  shows  from  what  source 
Jacob  inherited  his  tendency  to  sharp  deal- 
ing. Nothing  is  said  of  Laban  after  Jacob 
parted  from  him. 

Lachi  sli  (Id'kish) ,  invincible.  A  city  of  the 
Amorites.  lying  south  of  Jerusalem,  and 
toward  the  border  of  Simeon.  Josh.  10 ;  3. 
It  was  one  of  the  Canaanitish  cities  which 
was  subdued  by  Joshua  and  included  in 
Judah ;  fortified  by  Jeroboam.  2  Chron. 
11 : 9.  King  Amaziah  was  killed  there.  2 
Kings  14  :  19.  Lachish  was  besieged  by 
Sennacherib  and  perhaps  taken.  2  Kings 
18  :  13,  14  ;  Isa.  36  : 1,  2.  The  siege  is  consid- 
ered by  some  to  be  depicted  on  the  slabs 
found  in  one  of  the  chambers  of  the  palace 
at  Kouyunjik.  Lachish  has  lately  (1892) 
been  identitied  with  Tel-el- Hesy  on  the 
Mediterranean  Sea,  where  remarkable  tab- 
lets, records,  and  letters  of  the  king  of  La- 
chish have  been  found,  written  before  the 
exodus. 

I.aml>.  Ex.  12  :  3.  The  young  of  the 
sheep,  though  the  original  word  means  also 
the  kid  or  young  of  the  goat ;  and  by  the 
Jewish  law  it  is  expressly  provided  that  the 
sacrifice  at  the  passover  might  be  a  lamb, 
either  of  the  sheep  or  goat.  Ex.  12  :  5. 
Sundry  peculiar  enactments  are  contained 
in  the  same  law,  respecting  the  qualities  of 
the  animal.  Ex.  22  :  30  ;  23  :  19 ;  Lev.  22  : 
27.  The  prophet  represents  Christ  as  a 
lamb  led  to  the  slaughter,  Isa.  53  :  7,  and 
the  same  figure  is  emploved  by  John  the 
Baptist.  John  1  :  29,  36.  It  expresses  the 
meekness  and  gentleness  of  Christ,  and 
designates  him  as  the  great  sacrifice  for 
sin.  Throughout  the  Scriptures,  from  the 
beginning  to  the  end,  the  lamb  and  the 
sacrifice  of  a  lamb  are  used  as  a  tvpe  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  of  his  blood  shed  for 
our  sins.  In  the  Revelation  he  is  expressly 
called  "  The  Lamb  "  27  times.  He  is  rep- 
resented as  now  standing  in  the  midst  of  the 
throne  of  God.  as  a  "  Lamb  as  it  had  been 
slain,  having  seven  horns,  and  seven  eyes, 
which  are  Uie  seven  spirits  of  God."  "And 
138 


they  sung  a  new  song  saying.  Thou  art 
worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the 
seals  thereof :  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast 
redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of 
everj'  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
and  nation,  and  hast  made  us  unto  our 
God  kings  and  priests."  "  And  every  crea- 
ture wliich  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the'earth, 
and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the 
sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  say- 
ing. Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and 
power,  he  unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb,  for  ever  and 
ever."  Rev.  5  :  6,  8,  9,  12,  13  ;  6 : 1,  16  ;  7  :  9, 
10,  14,  17  ;  12  :  11 ;  13  :  8  ;  17  :  14 ;  21 : 9,  22, 
23,  27,  etc.    See  Sheep. 

L-ainecli  {la'mek),  strong.  1.  The  fifth 
descendant  from  Cain,  the  first  polj'gamist, 
father  of  Jabal,  Jubal,  the  inventor  of  mu- 
sical instruments,  and  Tubal-cain,  the 
worker  of  metals.  He  was  the  author  of 
the  earliest  poetrj'  extant,  in  which  he  ad- 
dresses his  wives  on  account  of  having 
slain  a  man.  Gen.  4 :  18-24.  2.  Son  of  Me- 
thusaleh  and  father  of  Noah.  Gen.  5 :  25, 
31 ;  1  Chron.  1:3;  Luke  3  :  36. 

Lianientations  of  Jeremiah.  Con- 
tenta. — The  lamentations  are  an  elegaic 
poem  on  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 
Judah  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  The  book  con- 
sists of  five  separate  poems,  each  complete 
in  itself.  The  poetical  form  of  this  compo- 
sition is  a  very  elaborate  alphabetical  struc- 
ture. The  first  four  chapters  are  acrostics, 
like  Ps.  25,  34,  37,  119,  etc.— that  is,  every 
veree  begins  with  a  letter  of  the  Hebrew 
alphabet  in  regular  order.  Chaps.  1,  2, 
and  4  contain  22  verses  each,  according  to 
the  number  of  Hebrew  letters.  The  third 
chapter  has  three  successiA^e  verses  begin- 
ning with  the  same  letter,  making  66  verses 
in  all.  It  soothed  the  weary  years  of  the 
Babylonian  exile,  and  afterward  kept  up  a 
lively  remembrance  of  the  days  of  the 
deepest  humiliation.  On  the  ninth  day  of 
the  month  of  Ab  (July)  it  was  read,  year 
by  year,  with  fasting  and  weeping,  to 
commemorate  the  national  misery  and  the 
final  deliverance.  The  author  is  not  named 
anywhere  in  the  Bible,  and  the  book  is  not 
quoted  in  the  New  Testament ;  but  general 
tradition  assigns  the  composition  to  Jere- 
miah, and  this  is  the  prevailing  opinion. 

Liarup.  The  hghts  of  the  East  are  of 
various  kinds;  not  only  oil,  but  pitch, 
naplitha,  and  wax  are  used  to  maintain 
the  flame.  The  wicks  were  generally  made 
of  cotton  or  of  flax.  According  to  rabbin- 
cal  tradition,  the  wicks  of  the  sacred  lamps 
were  made  of  the  old  hnen  garments  of 
the  priests.  The  form  of  Oriental  lamps 
was  fanciful,  and  often  elegant,  of  which 
we  have  numerous  specimens  found  in  the 
ruined  cities  of  the  East.  The  materials  of 
which  lamps  were  made  were  baked  clay, 
teiTa  cotta,  bronze,  etc.  The  lamps  of  the 
Hebrews,  it  is  probable,  were  suffered  to 
burn  all  night,  and  this  occasioned  no  great 
expense  in  a  country  so  rich  in  oil.  The 
putting  out  of  the  light  denoted  the  ruin 
and  extinction  of  the  family  and  the  de- 
sertion of  the  house.  This  gives  force  to 
the  words  in  Job  18  :  5,  6  ;  21 :  17  ;  29 :  3 : 


LAND-MARK 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


LEAH 


"The  light  of  the  wicked  shall  be  put  out ; 
„  ,  .  light  shall  be  dark  in  his  tabernacle, 
and  his  candle  shall  be  put  out  witli  him." 
"  How  oft  is  the  candle  of  the  wicked  put 
out."  Jer.  25  :  10,  11 ;  Prov.  20  :  20.  Also 
in  Prov,  13  :  9  ;  "  The  light  of  the  righteous 
rejoiceth,  but  the  lamp  of  the  wicked  shall 
be  put  out ; "  and  of  the  prudent  wife, 
"Her  candle  goeth  not  out  by  night." 
Prov.  31 :  18. 

Laud-mark.  The  removing  of  a  land- 
mark was  speciallv  prohibited  by  the  Mo- 
saic law.  Deut.  19  :  U ;  27  :  17  ;  Prov.  22  : 
28  ;  23  :  10.  See  also  Job  24  :  2.  As  this  was 
so  flagrant  an  oftence,  the  expression  seems 
to  have  become  proverbial  to  designate  un- 
principled conduct.    See  Hos.  5 :  10. 

Liaodicea  (la-dd-i-se'ah),  the  old  city 
(Greek  Diospolis),  stood  on  the  banks  of 
the  Lycus,  a  branch  of  the  Meander,  a  few 
miles  distant  from  Colosse  and  Hierapolis, 
in  the  Roman  province  of  Asia,  in  Asia 
Minor.  Seleucus  II.  enlarged  it,  and  named 
it  after  his  wife  Laodicea.  A  Christian  church 
was  early  estabhshed  here,  probably  from 
Ephesus,  and  to  this  church  Paul  sent  a 
salutation  when  writing  to  the  Colossians, 
Col.  4  :  15 ;  it  is  also  mentioned  in  Rev.  1 : 
11 ;  3 :  14.  From  Col.  4 :  16  it  appears  tliat 
Paul  wrote  a  letter  to  the  Laodiceans, 
which  some  think  is  the  same  as  the  Epis- 
tle to  the  Ephesians. 

Lappeth.  Judg.  7  :  5.  Orientals  are  ac- 
customed to  take  up  water  in  the  hollow 
of  the  hand  to  drink  with  surprising  agil- 
ity. When  Gideon's  army  came  to  the 
water  side,  some  drank  of  it  with  the  hand 
quickly,  to  be  ready  without  delay  to  fol- 
low Gideon ;  while  the  thousands  of  faint- 
hearted, that  were  sent  away,  stooped 
down  to  drink  with  so  much  tardiness  and 
ceremony  as  to  show  that  their  hearts  were 
not  with  Gideon  in  his  contemplated  en- 
terprise. Tiie  three  hundred  showed  them- 
selves men  of  alacrity  and  promptness, 
and  therefore  fit  for  the  work. 

Lapwing.  Occurs  only  in  A.  V.  of  Lev. 
11  :  19,  R.  V.  Hoopoe,  and  in  the  parallel 
passage  of  Deut.  14 :  18,  amongst  the  hst  of 
those  birds  which  were  forbidden  by  the 
law  of  Moses  to  be  eaten  by  the  Israelites. 
Probably  the  hoopoe  is  intended,  a  bird 
about  the  size  of  a  pigeon. 

Latcliet.  Mark  1 :  7.  The  fastening  of 
a  sandal  or  shoe.  See  Garments,  Cloth- 
ing, 

Lattice.    2  Kings  1 : 2.    See  Dwelling. 

Laver.  1.  A  circular  vessel  of  brass,  in  the 
tabernacle  containing  water  for  the  priests 
to  wash  their  hands  and  feet,  before  offering 
sacrifice.  It  stood  in  the  court  between  the 
altar  and  the  door  of  the  tabernacle.  Ex. 
30:18-21.  It  rested  on  a  basis,  i.  c,  a.  foot, 
which,  as  well  as  the  laver  itself,  was  made 
from  the  mirrors  of  the  v/omen  who  assem- 
bled at  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  court. 
Ex.  38  :  8.  Like  the  other  vessels  belong- 
ing to  the  tabernacle,  it  was,  together  with 
its  "  foot,"  consecrated  with  oil.  Lev.  8 : 
10, 11.  2.  In  Solomon's  temple,  besides  the 
great  molten  sea,  there  were  ten  lavers  of 
brass,  raised  on  bases,  1  Kings  7  :  27,  39, 
five  on  the  north  and  five  on  the  south 


side  of  the  court  of  the  priests.  .They  were 
used  for  wash  nig  the  animals  to  be  offered 
in  burnt  offerings.     2  Chron.  4  :  6. 

Law,  The.  This  term  is  applied  i in  the 
New  Testameat  to  the  old  covenant  and 
revelation,  in  distinction  from  the  new; 
the  dispensation  under  the  law  in  distinc- 
tion from  the  dispensation  under  the  gos- 
pel; that  by  Moses  and  the  prophets  in 
distinction  from  the  dispensation  bv  Christ. 
John  1 :  17 ;  Acts  25  :  8  ;  Ueb.  10  :  i-18.  It 
was  the  title  applied  by  the  Jews  to  the 
first  five  books  of  the  Bible.  Tlie  law,  the 
prophets,  and  the  psalms,  Luke  24 :  27,  44 ; 
Acts  13 :  15,  thus  designate  the  entire  Old 
Testament.  The  term  often  refers  more 
specially  to  the  Mosaic  legislation,  includ- 
ing the  moral.  Matt.  5  :  17,  the  ceremonial, 
Eph.  2  :  15,  and  the  pohtical,  but  particu- 
larly the  first.  Sometimes  Paul  uses  the 
word  "law"  (without  tlie  article)  in  a 
wider  sense — of  principle,  rule  of  moral 
conduct— and  speaks  of  the  heathen  as 
having  such  a  law  written  on  their  con- 
science or  being  a  law  to  themselves.  Rom. 
2 :  14, 15. 

Lawyers,  Luke  7  :  30,  called  also  "doc- 
tors of  the  law,"  Luke  5  :  17,  among  the 
Hebrews,  were  not  pleaders  before  a  court, 
but  expounders  of  the  Mosaic  and  priestly 
law,  and  copied  it,  so  that  it  is  not  certain 
what  was  the  difference  between  a  lawyer 
and  a  scribe.  Matt.  22  :  35 ;  Luke  10  :  25 ; 
comp.  Mark  12 :  28. 

Lazarus  (laz'a-riis),  an  abbreviation  of 
Eleazar,  whom  God  helps.  1.  A  person  of 
Bethany  residing  with  his  two  sisters,  in 
whose  household  Christ  was  a  frequent 
guest.  He  was  raised  from  the  tomb  by 
Christ  in  the  presence  of  the  family  and  a 
number  of  Jews,  after  he  had  been  dead 
four  days.  So  incensed  were  the  Jews  at 
this  that  they  sought  to  kill  not  only  Christ, 
but  even  Lazarus.  John  11 ;  12  : 1-11.  2. 
In  the  parable  by  which  our  Saviour 
illustrates  the  retributions  of  the  future 
world  one  of  the  parties  is  named  Lazarus. 
Luke  16  :  19-31. 

Lead.  A  metal  known  to  the  ancients 
from  a  ver>"  early  period,  and  alluded  to  in 
Ex.  15 :  10  'on  account  of  its  weight.  It  is 
mentioned  several  times  in  Scripture  as  en- 
tering into  the  process  of  purifying  more 
precious  metals,  Jer.  6  :  29 :  Ezek.  22 ;  18.  20 : 
for  which  purpose  quicksilver  is  now  used. 
The  words  of  Job  19:24,  "that  they  were 
graven  with  an  iron  pen  and  lead" in  the 
rock  forever,"  refer  to  the  custom  of  pour- 
ing molten  lead  into  letters  carved  in  the 
rock  in  order  to  make  them  more  striking 
to  the  eye. 

Leah  ilefah),  ^vearied.  The  elder  daugh- 
ter of  Laban.  Her  eves  were  delicate  and 
weak.  Gen.  29 :  16, 17.  By  her  father  La- 
ban's  deceit  slie  was  married  to  Jacob ;  she 
bore  him  six  sons  and  a  daughter,  but 
seems  to  have  been  ever  painfully  sensible 
that  her  husband's  affections  were  given 
mainlv  to  her  sister  Rachel.  Gen.  29  :  21- 
25.  31-35  ;  30  :  1-21.  She  willingly  accom- 
panied Jacob  into  Canaan,  Gen.  31 ;  and 
there  she  died,  when,  is  not  stated,  but 
it  was  before  the  family  of  Israel  went 
139 


LEASING 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


LEPER 


down  into  Egypt,  and  she  was  buried  in 
the  cave  of  Machpelah.    Gen.  49 :  31. 

Leasing.  Ps.  4:2,  A.  V.,  "falsehood," 
R.  V.  An  old  Enghsh  word  for  falsehood, 
lying. 

Leaven.  Any  substance  that  promotes 
fermentation.  Sour  dough  is  generally 
used  in  the  East  for  this  purpose  ;  lees  of 
wine  are  also  employed.  The  fermenta- 
tion produced  is  a  kind  of  putrefaction ; 
indeed  it  is  distributed  into  three  kinds, 
the  vinous,  the  acetous,  the  putrefactive. 
AH  leaven  was  prohibited  in  meat-offerings. 
Lev.  2  :  11 ;  7  :  12 ;  8  :  2  ;  Num.  6  :  15,  and 
specially  in  the  paschal  feast  of  the  He- 
brews, Ex.  12  :  3, 19,  20 ;  whence  this  was 
often  called  "the  feast  of  unleavened 
bread."  JSIatt.  26  :  17.  The  nature  of  leaven, 
affecting  the  whole  lump  of  the  substance 
to  which  it  is  added,  furnishes  some  strik- 
ing illustrations  in  Scripture,  Matt.  13  :  33 ; 
16 :  6 ;  1  Cor.  5:6;  as  also  does  the  corrup- 
tion it  had  undergone ;  thus  we  have  ■^^•arn- 
ings  in  Luke  12 : 1 ;  1  Cor.  5 : 7,  8,  where  the 
word  is  symbohcally  used  for  corruptness 
of  Ufe,  or 'doctrine. 

Liebanon  (Ifb'a-non),  exceeding  white.  A 
double  mountain  range  to  the  north  of 
Palestine,  consisting  of  a  western  chain, 
Lebanon  proper,  and  an  eastern.  "  Leba- 
non toward  the  sun-rising,"  Josh.  13:5, 
called  by  classic  winters  Anti-Libanus,  and 
enclosing  a  valley  from  five  to  eight  miles 
broad—"  the  valley  of  Lebanon,"  Josh.  11 : 
17;  called  by  classic  writers  Cffilo-Syria. 
The  western  range,  the  Lebanon  proper, 
begins  on  the  north  near  the  banks  of  the 
Eleutherus,  which  passes  through  the  plain 
of  Emesa,  the  "entrance  of  Hamath," 
Num.  34  :8,  to  the  Mediterranean,  and  runs 
for  a  distance  of  90  geographical  miles,  in 
the  direction  from  northeast  to  southwest, 
parallel  with  the  ]\Iediterranean,  to  the 
banks  of  the  Litany,  the  ancient  Leontes, 
which,  draining  Coelo-Syria  and  breaking 
through  the  Lebanon  by  a  wild  gorge,  en- 
ters the  Mediterranean  a  few  miles  north 
of  Tyre.  The  average  height  of  this  range 
is  from  6000  to  8000  feet.  "The  smell  of 
thy  garments ?■«  hke  the  smell  of  Lebanon." 
Song  of  Sol.  4 :  11.  The  eastern  chain,  the 
Anti-Lebanon,  runs  nearly  parallel  with 
the  western.  Its  highest  point  is  Mount 
Hermon.  Its  western  descent  toward  Coelo- 
Syria  is  abrupt  and  steep ;  to  the  east  it 
gradually  sinks  into  the  plains  of  the  des- 
ert. Its  general  aspect  is  bleak  and  barren, 
the  abode  of  wild  beasts  and  birds  of  prey. 
From  both  ranges  numerous  rivers  descend 
—the  Eleutherus.  Leontes,  Jordan,  Abana, 
and  Pharpar  (which  see) ;  and  the  cold- 
flowing  waters  of  the  springs  and  streams 
of  Lebanon  were  and  are  still  proverbial. 

L.eek.  A  vegetable  similar  to  the  onion, 
after  which  the  Israelites  longed  in  the  wil- 
derness. Num.  11  :  5.  The  same  word  is 
elsewhere  rendered  "  grass."  1  Kings  18  :  5 ; 
2  Kings  19  :  26  ;  Job  40  :  15  ;  Ps.  37: 2 ;  "  herb," 
Job  8 :  12  ;  "  hay,"  Prov.  27 :  25,  Isa.  15  :  6. 
The  specific  translation  "leek"  is  ques- 
tionable. 

Lees.  The  settUngs  of  a  liquor ;  its  sed- 
iment or  dregs.  "  Wine  on  the  lees  "  means 
140 


a  generous,  full-bodied  liquor.  Isa.  25  :  6. 
Before  the  wine  was  consumed,  it  was  nec- 
essary to  strain  off  the  lees;  such  wine 
was  then  teimed  "well  refined."  Isa.  25: 
6.  To  drink  the  lees,  or  "dregs,"  was  an 
expression  for  the  endurance  of  extreme 
punishment.    Ps.  75  :  8. 

Legion.  A  division  of  the  Roman  army. 
The  numlier  of  men  in  it  differed  at  va- 
rious times.  Originally  a  legion  consisted 
of  about  3000 ;  but  in  the  time  of  Au- 
gustus it  contained  about  6000 :  there  were 
also  cavalry  attached,  to  the  amount  of 
one-tenth  of  the  infantr>-.  Eacli  legion 
was  divided  into  ten  cohorts,  each  cohort 
into  three  maniples,  and  each  maniple  into 
two  centuries,  which,  according  to  the 
name,  should  comprise  100  men.  The  word 
legion  came  in  the  course  of  time  to  ex. 
press  indefinitely  a  large  number;  so 
it  is  used  in  Matt.  26  :  53 ;  Mark  5  :  9,  15 ; 
Luke  8  :  30 ;  and  so  we  frequently  now 
use  it. 

Lentile.s.  A  leguminous  plant,  produc- 
ing a  kind  of  pulse  resembhng  small  beans. 
They  are  chiefly  used  for  pottage,  which  is 
of  a' red  or  chocolate  color.  Such  was  that 
for  which  Esau  sold  his  birthright.  Gen. 
25 :  29-34.  An  illustration  of  this  is  fur- 
nished  in  the  tomb-paintings  of  Egj-pt, 
where  there  is  a  representation  of  a  man 
cooking  lentiles  for  soup  or  porridge. 
Sometimes  lentiles,  in  seasons  of  scarcity, 
and  by  the  poor,  were  employed  for  makT 
ing  bread.  Ezek.  4 : 9.  Mixed  Avith  barley 
they  are  said  to  be  frequently  so  used  in 
the  southern  parts  of  Egj'pt- 

Leopard.  Isa.  11 : 6.  An  animal  of  the 
cat  tribe,  which  is  often  mentioned  by  the 
sacred  writere.  The  Hebrew  name  is  nim- 
rah.  Num.  32  : 3.  Beth-nimrah,  Num.  32  : 
36,  means  the  house  of  the  leopards ;  and 
in  Song  of  Sol.  4  :  8,  are  mentioned  the 
mountains  of  the  leopards.  Allusions  are 
made  in  the  Bible  to  its  manner  of  watch- 
ing for  its  prey,  Jer.  5:6;  Hos.  13 : 7 ;  its 
fleetness,  Hab.  1:8;  its  fierceness  and  cru- 
elty, Isa.  11 : 6,  and  in  Dan.  7:6  it  is  made 
the  emblem  of  power. 

Leper.  Leprosy  is  the  name  of  a  loath- 
some disease  taking  various  forms;  some 
curable,  some  not.  In  the  worst  form  the 
bones  and  the  marrow  are  pervaded  with  the 
disease,  so  that  the  joints  of  the  hands  and 
feet  lose  their  power,  the  hmbs  of  the  body 
fall  together,  and  the  whole  system  as- 
sumes a  most  defoi-med  and  loathsome  ap- 
pearance. The  progress  and  effect  of  the 
disease  are  described  in  Job  2  :  7,  8, 12 ;  6 : 
2 ;  7:3-5;  19  :  14-21.  There  are  t-svo  forms 
of  the  disease— the  tuberculated,  incrust- 
ing  the  whole  person  with  ulcerous  tuber- 
cles, and  the  anesthetic,  making  the  skin 
mummvhke— but  under  both  forms  "  Death 
lives,"  and  the  diseased  is  a  walking  tomb, 
a  parable  of  death.  There  was  also  a  milder 
form  of  the  disease,  the  so-called  white 
leprosy,  often  attacking  only  one  limb  and 
generally  curable,  as  when  "  Moses'  hand 
^vas  leprous  as  snow."  Ex.  4  : 6.  Notice  also 
the  cases  of  Miriam,  Num.  12  :  10  ;  Gehazi,  2 
Kings  5:27;  and  Uzziah,  2  Chron.  26:16- 
23.    Although  the  laws  respecting  this  dis- 


LET 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


LEVITES 


ease  which  we  find  in  the  Jlosaic  code  are 
exceedingly  rigid,  it  is  by  no  means  clear 
that  the  leprosy  was  considered  contagious. 
The  horror  and  disgust  which  was  felt  to- 
ward a  disease  so  foul  and  loathsome 
might  be  a  sutficient  reason  for  such  severe 
enactments,  and  strict  seclusion  was  at  all 
events  an  effective  means  of  arresting  the 
progress  of  the  disease  by  preventing  in- 
termarriage between  "lepers"  and  the 
healthy.  The  leper  was  excluded  from 
the  tabernacle  and  the  camp,  and  ^\•hen 
he  was  healed  his  restoration  to  social  in- 
tercourse with  Ills  fellow-men  was  twofold ; 
performed  both  in  the  camp  and  in  the 
tabernacle.  Lev.  14  :  3-32.  A  house  for 
lepers  was  built  outside  Jerusalem  on  the 
hill  of  JarelD — i.  e.,  "the  hill  of  scraping," 
Jer.  31 :  40 ;  Job  2  :  8— and  the  leper  was 
compelled  to  wear  mourning.  Lev.  13  :  45. 
Of  leprosv  in  garments  and  houses,  Lev. 
13  :  47-59  ;  14 :  33-53,  httle  can  be  said.  It 
might  be  propagated  by  animalculre  or 
germs ;  and  the  regulations  concerning  it 
must  have  been  of  a  sanitary  as  well  as 
moral  character.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
disease  is  now  frequently  conveyed  by 
clothes. 

Let.  Ex.  5:4,  R.  V.,  "loose  ;"  Isa.  43: 
13  ;  Eom.  1 :  13,  R.  V.,  "  hindered ;  "  2  Thess. 
2  :  7,  R.  v.,  "  restraineth."  This  word  is 
used  in  old  EngUsh  for  "to  hinder,"  "to 
stop." 

Letter.  The  letters  mentioned,  2  Sam. 
11 :  14  ;  2  Kings  10 : 1 ;  Ezra  4  :  11,  were  in 
the  form  of  rolls,  not  unlike  those  used  in 
the  East  at  the  present  day.  Thus  the 
Arabs  roll  up  their  letters,  and  then  flatten 
them  to  the  breadth  of  an  inch  and  paste 
up  the  end  instead  of  sealing  them ;  and 
the  Persians  make  up  their  letters  in  the 
form  of  rolls,  about  six  inches  long,  and 
paste  a  bit  of  paper  around  them  with  gum 
and  seal  them  with  an  impression  of  ink. 
When  sent  to  inferiors  they  were  often  sent 
open,  Neh.  6:5;  but  when  sent  to  equals 
or  superiors  they  were  enclosed  in  a  purse 
or  bag. 

Levi  {le'vi),  a  joining.  1.  The  third  son  of 
Jacob  by  Leah,  who  gave  him  his  name  as 
trusting  that  her  husband  would,  now  that 
she  had  borne  him  three  sons,  be  joined  in 
affection  with  her.  Gen.  29  :  34.  I^qtv, 
with  his  brother  Simeon,  took  the  lead  in 
the  dreadful  vengeance  inflicted  upon  the 
Shechemites  for  the  defilement  of  their 
sister  Dinah.  Gen.  34  :  25-31.  Jacob  viewed 
their  conduct  with  abhorrence,  and,  before 
his  death,  while  prophetically  describing 
the  future  fortunes  of  his  sons  and  their 
posterity,  uttered  a  solemn  denunciation 
upon  Simeon  and  Le\i.  Gen.  49  : 5-7.  This 
appears  to  have  come  upon  Simeon ;  but 
the  holy  zeal  of  the  Levites  on  occasion  of 
the  golden  calf  procured  them  a  remarka- 
ble blessing  and  distinction.  Ex.  32  :  26-29. 
Levi  had  three  sons,  Gershon,  Kohath,  and 
Merari,  the  heads  of  the  families  of  the 
tribe.  He  died  in  Egypt  at  the  age  of  137. 
Ex.  6  :  16.  See  Levites.  2.  The  same  as 
Matthew.  Mark  2  :  14  ;  Luke  5  :  27.  See 
Matthew.  3,  4.  Two  of  our  Lord's  ances- 
tors.   Luke  3: 24,  29, 


Leviathan  {jointed  monsfer).  This  word 
occurs  five  times  in  the  A.  V.,  and  once  in 
the  margin.  Job  3  :  8,  where  the  text  has 
"  moiurning."  In  Hebrew  the  word  livya- 
than  is  found  only  in  Job  3:8;  41 : 1 ;  Fs. 
74  :  14 ;  104  :  26 ;  Isa.  27  :  1.  In  the  margin 
of  Job  3  : 8  and  text  of  Job  41 : 1  the  croco- 
dile is  no  doubt  the  animal  meant,  and 
also  in  Ps.  74  :  14.  In  Ps.  104 :  26  the  name 
represents  some  animal  of  the  whale  tribe 
in  the  Mediterranean ;  but  it  is  uncertain 
what  animal  is  intended  in  Isa.  27  : 1.  The 
term  may  denote  some  species  of  snakes 
which  are  common  in  south  and  w^est 
Africa. 

Levites  (le'intes).  A  term  appUed  sometimes 
to  all  the  descendants  of  Levi.  Num.  35  : 2  ; 
Josh.  21 : 3,  41 ;  Ex.  6  :  25 ;  Lev.  25  :  32,  etc. 
But  the  "sons  of  Aaron"  were  separated 
from  the  rest  of  the  descendants  of  Levi 
and  consecrated  priests:  hence,  after  this 
the  Levites  comprised  only  those  descend- 
ants of  Levi  who  were  not  "  sons  of  Aaron  " 
— that  is,  priests.  1  Kings  8:4;  Ezra  2 :  70 ; 
John  1 :  19,  etc.  Sometimes,  also,  the  term 
was  used  to  show  from  what  tribe  the 
priests  came— "the  priests  the  Levites." 
Josh.  3:3;  Deut.  17  :  18.  The  Levites  num- 
bered 22,000  in  the  wilderness,  and  took 
the  place  of  the  first-born,  part  of  whom 
were  redeemed  at  five  shekels  each.  Num. 
3:45-51,  the  fixed  ransom  for  a  victim 
vowed  in  sacrifice.  Num.  18 :  16 ;  Lev.  27 : 
6.  Thus  the  Levites  came  to  occupy  in  the 
Hebrew  theocracy  a  position  midway  be- 
tween the  priests  and  the  people.  They 
consisted  of  three  great  families,  the  Ko- 
hathites,  the  Gershonites,  and  the  Mera- 
rites,  of  which  the  first  carried  the  sacred 
vessels,  the  second  the  hangings  and  cur- 
tains of  the  tabernacle,  and  the  third  the 
boards  and  pillars.  They  also  kept  the 
book  of  the  Law,  Deut.  17  :8-12,  and  served 
as  judges,  etc.  Forty-eight  cities,  with  1000 
cubits  of  the  country  surrounding,  were  ap- 
propriated for  the  residence  and  mainten- 
ance of  the  Levites.  Besides  these  cities, 
with  adjacent  districts,  the  Levites  received 
a  tithe  of  all  produce,  animal  and  vegeta- 
ble, but  of  this  they  paid  a  tithe  to  the 
priests.  Num.  18  :  20-32.  Another  tithe 
they  received  every  third  year,  and  special 
provision  was  made  for  them  during  the 
term  they  administered  in  the  sanctuary. 
In  the  time  of  David  their  number  had  in- 
creased to  38,000,  of  which  24,000  were  set 
apart  for  the  ordinary  services,  6000  for  the 
teaching  of  the  Law  and  the  administra- 
tion of  justice,  4000  as  porters,  and  4000  as 
musicians.  They  were  divided  into  courses, 
and  came  up  from  their  cities  to  the  sanc- 
tuary in  regular  rotation.  1  Chron.  23  :  24  : 
20-31 ;  25 ;  26.  When  the  separation  took 
place  between  the  kingdom  of  Israel  and 
the  kingdom  of  Judah,  all  the  Levites  gath- 
ered to  Judah,  2  Chron.  11 :  13-15,  and  they 
continued  to  play  a  conspicuous  part  in 
the  destinies  of  this  kingdom.  After  the 
captivity,  however,  onlv  a  small  number 
of  them'  returned,  Ezra  2  :  36-12 ;  3 :  10  ;  6  : 
18;  but  in  the  new  organization  they  as- 
sumed their  old  positions.  They  settled  in 
the  villages  near  Jerusalem,  received  theii 
141 


LEVITICUS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


LOCUST 


old  tithes,  etc.  Neh.  10:37-39;  12  :29.  In 
the  New  Testament  they  occur  as  repre- 
sentatives of  a  formal  worship  destitute  of 
love.  Luke  10  :  32.  The  distinction  of  Le- 
vite  is  still  maintained  among  the  Jews. 

Lieviticus  {le-vU'i-kds),  relating  to  the  Le- 
vites.  The  name  of  the  third  book  of  the 
Pentateuch.  Onlj'  the  chapters  8-10  are 
histor>';  the  rest  treats  of  the  Levitic;il 
services — nameh',  chaps.  1-7,  the  laws  of 
offerings ;  8-10,  the  consecration  of  Aaron 
and  his  family  ;  11-15,  the  laws  concerning 
that  which  is  clean  and  that  which  is  un- 
clean ;  16,  the  atonement  as  the  stmi-total 
of  all  means  of  grace ;  17-20,  the  separa- 
tion of  Israel  from  heathendom  in  food, 
marriage,  etc. ;  21,  22,  the  hohness  of  priests 
and  offerings ;  23,  24,  the  holiness  of  con- 
vocations, Sabbaths;  25,  on  redemption; 
26,  on  repentance ;  27,  on  vows. 

Libertines  (IWer-tlnes).  The  descend- 
ants of  Jewish  freedmen  at  Rome,  who  had 
been  expelled,  19  a.  d.,  by  Tiberius.  Acts 
6 : 9.  Thev  might  very  well  have  a  syna- 
gogue of  their  own  at  Jerusalem,  as  they 
were  numerous,  and  as  there  are  said  to 
have  been  not  fev/er  than  460  or  480  syna- 
gogues in  that  city. 

Liibnah  (llb'nah),  whiteness.  1.  The  fifth 
station  at  which  Israel  encamped  on  their 
journev  from  Sinai ;  situated  between  Rim- 
mon-parez  and  Rissah,  Num.  33  :  20,  21,  but 
not  yet  identified.  2.  A  city  of  Canaan,  in 
the  lowland  of  Judah,  was  taken  by 
Joshua,  Josh.  10 :  29-32,  39 ;  12 :  15,  and  as- 
signed to  the  priests,  Josh.  15 :  42 ;  21 :  13  ;  1 
Chron.  6  :  57 ;  revolted  against  Joram,  2 
Kings  8  :  22 ;  2  Chron.  21 :  10 ;  was  besieged 
by  Sennacherib,  2  Kings  19  :  8 ;  Isa.'  37  : 8. 

Libya  (IWy-ah),  occurring  only  in  Ezek. 
30  : 5  A.  V.  (R.  V.  "  Put,"),  and  Acts  2 :  10, 
and  Lybia  is  the  classic  name  of  northern 
Africa,  west  of  Egj-pt-  It  was  inhabited  by 
a  Hamitic  race,  spoken  of  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament under  the  name  of  Lehabim  or 
Lubim. 

L.ice.  Ex.  8  :  16.  These  parasitic  insects 
are  still  a  pest  in  the  Nile  valley.  Herodo- 
tus tells  us  that  the  ancient  Egj^ptians  pe- 
culiarly abhorred  such  vermiu,  and  were 
taught  by  their  priests  that  contact  with 
lice  rendered  them  ceremonially  unclean. 
Some  authorities  have  held  that  gnats 
were  here  intended,  but  more  probably 
ticks  are  meant.  These  ticks  are  much 
larger  than  lice.^  The  body  is  ordinarily 
about  the  size  of  a  small  pea  ;  the  legs  are 
long,  and  the  creature  runs  rapidly. 

Liigure,  Heb.  kshein.  A  precious  stone 
mentioned  in  Ex.  28  :  19 :  39  :  12,  R.  V.  "Ja- 
cinth," as  the  first  in  the  third  row  of  the 
high  priest's  breastplate.  Perhaps  tourma- 
line, or  more  definitely  the  red  variety 
knov/n  as  nibellite,  is  the  stone  meant.  Ru- 
bellite  is  a  hard  stone,  and  used  as  a  gem, 
and  is  sometimes  sold  for  red  sapphire. 

liily.  A  flower  repeatedly  mentioned  in 
Scripture  in  both  the  Old  and  the  New 
Testaments.  It  was  of  gorgeous  beauty. 
Matt.  6  :  28,  29,  growing  near  the  place 
where  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  was  de- 
livered, luxuriant  and  probably  rapid  in 
its  growth,  Hos.  14  : 5  :  it  was  found  in  the 
142 


valleys  among  thorns  and  on  pasture  land, 
Song  of  Sol.  2:1,  2,  16 ;  4:5;  6:3;  still, 
whether  It  was  scarlet,  or  emitted  a  fra- 
grant odor,  we  cannot  gather  with  certainty 
from  Song  of  Sol.,  5  :13,  as  critics  differ  in 
their  interpretation  of  this  verse.  If  the 
former  idea  be  preferred,  the  flower  may  be 
supposed  to  be  the  Lilium  Chalcedonicum, 
or  scarlet  martagon,  which  is  found  plen- 
tifully in  Galilee  in  spring-time.  If  the  Uly 
was  "fragrant,  it  was  probably  the  Lilium 
candidum,  or  common  white  hly,  which 
also  grows  in  Palestine;  or  it  may  desig- 
nate some  species  of  anemone. 
L,inen.  A  cloth  made  from  flax.  Lev.l3  :  47. 
Several  Hebrew  words  are  rendered  linen. 
Egypt  was  the  great  centre  of  the  hnen 
trade.  Prov.  7  :  16  :  1  Kings  10 :  28,  A.  V., 
but  the  R.  V.  reads  differently.  Some  linen 
made  from  the  Egyptian  byssus,  a  flax  that 
grew  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile,  was  soft 
Uke  silk  and  of  dazzling  whiteness.  This 
hnen  has  been  sold  for  twice  its  weight  in 
gold.  Sir  J.  G.  Wilkinson  says  of  it :  "  The 
quahty  of  the  fine  hnen  fully  justifies  all 
the  praises  of  antiquity,  and  excites  equal 
admiration  at  the  present  day,  being  to  the 
touch  comparable  to  silk,  and  not  inferior 
in  texture  to  our  finest  cambric." 

Lion.  Lions  do  not  now  exist  in  Pales- 
tine ;  but  they  must  in  ancient  times  have 
been  numerous  there.  The  names  Leba- 
oth.  Josh.  15  :  32 ;  19  :  6 ;  Laish,  Judg.  18  : 7 ; 
1  Sam.  25  :  44,  indicate  the  presence  of  the 
lion  in  those  regions.  The  lion  of  Palestine 
was  in  all  probabiUty  the  Asiatic  variety, 
described  by  Aristotle  and  Pliny  as  distin- 
guished by  its  short  curly  mane,  and  by 
being  shorter  and  rounder  in  shape,  like 
the  sculptured  Uon  found  at  Arban.  When 
driven  by  hunger  it  not  only  ventured  to 
attack  the  flocks  in  the  desert  in  presence 
of  the  shepherd,  1  Sam.  17  :  34 ;  Isa.  31 :  4, 
but  laid  waste  towns  and  villages,  2  Kings 
17  :  25,  26 :  Prov.  22 :  13 ;  26  :  13,  and  devoured 
men.  1  Kings  13  :  24 ;  20  :  36.  Among  the 
Hebrews,  and  throughout  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, the  lion  was  the  symbol  of  the 
princely  tribe  of  Judah,  while  in  the 
closing  book  of  the  Bible  it  received  a 
deeper  significance  as  the  emblem  of  him 
who  "prevailed  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  the  seven  seals  thereof."  Rev.  5:5.  On 
the  other  hand  its  fierceness  and  cruelty 
rendered  it  an  appropriate  metaphor  for  a 
fierce  and  malignant  enemy.  Ps.  7  :  2 ;  22 : 
21 ;  5f :  4 ;  2  Tim.  4  :  17,  and  hence  for  the 
archfiend  himself,  1  Pet.  5  : 8. 

Locust.  A  well-known  insect  which 
commits  terrible  ravages  on  vegetation  in 
the  countries  which  it  visits.  The  common 
brown,  locust  is  about  three  inches  in 
length,  and  the  general  form  is  that  of  a 
grasshopper.  Locusts  occur  in  great  num- 
bers, and  sometimes  obscure  the  sun.  Ex. 
10  :  15 ;  Judg.  6:5;  Jer.  46 :  23.  Their  vora- 
city is  alluded  to  in  Ex.  10  :  12,  15 ;  Joel  1 :  4, 
7.  They  make  a  fearful  noise  in  their 
flight.  Joel  2:5;  Rev.  9  :  9.  Their  irre- 
sistible progress  is  referred  to  in  Joel  2  : 8, 
9.  They  enter  dwelhngs,  and  devour  even 
the  woodwork  of  houses.  Ex.  10  :  6 ;  Joel 
2 : 9, 10.  They  do  not  fly  in  the  night,  Nah. 


LOD 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


LORD'S  SUPPER 


3 :  17.  The  sea  destroys  the  greater  num- 
ber. Ex.  10  :  19 ;  Joel  2 :  20.  The  flight  of 
locusts  is  thus  described :  "It  is  difficult  to 
express  the  eflfect  produced  on  us  by  the 
sight  of  the  whole  atmosphere  filled  on  all 
sides  and  to  a  great  height  by  an  innumer- 
able quantity  of  these  inpects,  whose  flight 
was  slow  and  uniform,  and  whose  noise 
resembled  that  of  rain  ;  the  sky  was  dark- 
ened, and  the  light  of  the  sun  considerably 
weakened.  In  a  moment  the  terraces  of 
the  houses,  the  streets,  and  all  the  fields 
were  covered  by  these  insects,  and  in  two 
days  they  had  nearly  devoured  all  the 
leaves  of  the  plants."  Locusts  have  been 
used  as  food  from  the  earliest  times.  Lev. 
11  :  21,  22 ;  Matt.  3:4;  Mark  1 : 6.  Herodo- 
tus speaks  of  a  Libyan  nation  who  dried 
their  locusts  in  the  sun  and  ate  them  with 
milk.  The  more  common  method  was 
to  pull  off  the  legs  and  wings  and  roast 
the  bodies  in  an  iron  dish.  Then  they 
were  thrown  into  a  bag,  and  eaten  hke 
parched  corn,  each  one  taking  a  handful 
when  he  chose.  Sometimes  locusts  are 
ground  and  pounded,  and  then  mixed  with 
flour  and  water  and  made  into  cakes,  or 
they  are  salted  and  then  eaten ;  sometimes 
smoked  ;  sometimes  boiled  or  roasted ;  or 
stewed  or  fried  in  butter. 

l.od  {I6d).    1  Chron.  8 :  12.    See  l.ydda. 

Liodebar  {lo-de'bar  or  lo'de-bdr),  toithout 
pasture.  A  place  in  the  tribe  of  Gad,  not 
far  from  Mahanaim,  north  of  the  Jabbok, 
east  of  the  Jordan.  2  Sam.  9  :  4 ;  17  :  27. 
Here  dwelt  Machir  the  Ammonite,  who  as- 
sisted David  in  his  flight  from  Absalom, 
and  there  hved  Mephibosheth,  Jonathan's 
lame  son.  Some  suppose  it  to  be  the  same 
as  Debir,  Josh.  13 :  26,  but  by  modern  trav- 
ellers it  has  not  yet  been  identified. 

Liog.    See  Measure.s. 

liooking-glass.  This  word  occurs  in 
Ex.  38 :  8 ;  Job  37  :  18 ;  also  in  Isa.  3  :  23, 
where  it  is  simply  "glasses."  The  R.  V. 
reads  mirrors  in  these  three  places.  The 
articles  intended  were  mirrors,  tablets,  or 
plates  of  polished  metal,  mostly  of  a  round 
form,  and  furnished  with  handles.  Those 
carried  by  the  Hebrew  women  at  the  time 
of  the  construction  of  the  vessels  of  the 
tabernacle  were  used  for  making  "  the  laver 
of  brass  and  the  foot  of  it  of  brass."  I\Iany 
mirrors  have  been  discovered  in  Egj'pt, 
and  are  to  be  seen  in  museums.  They  are 
of  mixed  metal,  chiefly  copper,  very  care- 
fully wrought,  and  highly  polished. 

Lord.  The  rendering  of  the  two  He- 
brew words  "Jehovah"  and  "Adonai." 
\\'hen  it  represents  the  former  it  is  printed 
with  capitals.  Gen.  15:4.  When  it  repre- 
sents the  latter  it  is  printed  with  a  capital 
initial.    Ps.  97:5. 

Lord's  Day.  Rev.  1 :  10.  From  the  times 
of  the  apostles,  the  first.day  of  the  week  has 
been  kept  sacred  by  Christians  in  commem- 
oration of  the  resurrection  of  Christ,  and 
it  is  invariably  designated  as  the  Lord's 
day  by  the  fathers  of  the  primitive  church 
up"  to'the  time  of  the  edict  of  Constantine, 
when  the  name  Sunday  became  common. 
"  On  the  first  day  of  the  week  when  the 
disciples   came  together  to  break   bread, 


Paul  preached  unto  them."  Acts  20  :  7. 
His  charge  "concerning  the  collection  for 
the  saints"  to  the  church  in  Corinth  is, 
"  Upon  the  first  day  of  the  week  let  every 
one  of  you  lay  by  him  in  store,  as  God  hath 
prospered  him."  lCor.l6:l,  2.  John  com- 
mences the  Revelation  saying :  "I was  in 
the  Spirit  on  the  Lord's  day."  Rev.  1:10. 
The  Lord's  day,  as  the  Sabbath,  reminds  us 
of  the  finished  work  of  creation  and  re- 
demption.   See  Sabbath. 

Lord's  Prayer.  The  name  given  to  the 
prayer  which  our  Lord  taught  his  disciples, 
after  their  request,  "  Lord,  teach  us  to  pray," 
recorded  in  Matt.  6:9-13;  Luke  11:2-4. 
Our  Lord  warns  them  against  praying  to 
be  seen  of  men,  and  against  using  "  vaiu 
repetitions,  as  the  heathen  do,"  and  adds  : 
"After  this  manner  pray  ye:  Our  Father 
which  art  in  heaven,"  etc.  This  prayer  is 
a  model  prayer,  divinely  authorized  :  sim- 
ple, short;  complete,  so  far  as  adoration, 
confession,  suppUcation,  and  intercession 
go.  As  it  is,  a  Jew,  a  Mohammedan,  or  a 
heathen,  may  use  it  with  propriety  :  but  it 
would  not  be  a  complete  Christian  prayer 
without  it  is  offered  in  accordance  with  our 
Lord's  additional  teachings  concerning 
prayer  to  his  disciples.  We  must  come  to 
God  through  liim.  "  No  man  cometh  unto 
the  Father,  but  by  me."  John  14  :  6.  We 
must  offer  our  prayei-s  in  his  name.  "  Ver- 
ily, verily,  I  say  linto  you.  Whatsoever  ye 
shall  ask  the  Father  in  my  name,  he  will 
give  it  you.  Hitherto  have  ye  asked  noth- 
ing in  my  name  :  ask,  and  ye  shall  receive, 
that  your  joy  may  be  full."  "  Whatsoever 
ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do, 
that  the  Father  may  be  glorified  in  the 
Son.  If  ye  shall  ask  anything  in  my  name, 
I  will  do  it,"  John  16  :  23,  24,  26 ;  14 :  13,  14  ; 
15  :  16.  In  the  use  of  the  Lord's  Prayer,  so 
called,  we  should  remember  our  Lord's  in- 
junction when  teaching  it,  "  Use  not  vain 
repetitions,  as  the  heathen  do."  Matt. 
6:7. 

Lord's  Supper.  The  passover  was  in- 
stituted in  the  Jewish  church  as  a  perpet- 
ual reminder  of  their  deliverance  from 
Egypt  until,  as  a  type,  it  was  fulfilled  by 
the  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  for  his 
people.  Just  before  his  death  he  instituted 
what  is  called  "  The  Lord's  Supper,"  to  be 
observed  by  his  followers  as  a  perpetual 
reminder  until  he  comes  again.  As  the 
passover  was  not  a  new  deliverance,  but 
simply  a  reminder  and  commemoration  to 
be  observed  with  joy  and  thanksgiving,  so 
is  the  Lord's  Supper  to  be  observed.  There 
is  no  new  sacnfice  of  Christ.  The  adora- 
tion of  the  bread  or  wafer  is  the  grossest 
perversion  and  idolatry.  "  Christ  was  once 
offered  to  bear  the  sins  of  many."  "  We  are 
sanctified  through  the  off'ering  of  the  body 
of  Jesus  Christ  once  for  all."  "But  this 
man,  after  he  had  offered  one  sacrifice  for 
sins  for  ever,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand 
of  God."  "For  by  one  offering  he  hath 
perfected  for  ever  them  that  are  sanctified." 
Heb.  9  :  25-28 ;  10  :  10, 12,  14.  The  connec- 
tion of  the  passover  feast  with  the  Lord's 
Supper  is  shown  by  such  passages  as  the 
following.  At  the  institution  of  the  latter, 
143 


LOT 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


LUKE 


Christ  said,  "  With  desire  I  have  desired  to 
eat  this  passover  with  you  before  I  suffer. 
For  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  anymore  eat 
thereof,  until  it  be  fulfilled  in  the  kingdom 
of  God,"  Luke  22  :  15,  16;  and,  "  For  even 
Christ  our  passover  is  sacrificed  for  us."  1 
Cor,  5  : 7.  The  Lord's  Supper  was  instituted 
before  Christ's  body  was  broken  or  his 
blood  shed.  The  accounts  of  it  given. 
Matt.  26  :  26 ;  Mark  14 :  22 ;  Luke  22 :  14-20, 
are  exceedingly  touching,  and  the  injunc- 
tion very  plain :  "  This  do  in  remembrance 
of  me."  Luke  22 :  19 ;  1  Cor.  11:  24,  25.  It 
is  also  a  continual  reminder  of  the  second 
coming  of  our  Lord  ;  "  For  as  often  as  ye 
eat  this  bread,  and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do 
shew  the  Lord's  death  rill  he  come."  1  Cor. 

11  :  26.  The  Scripture  account  of  it  is  sim- 
ple. The  Lord  Jesus,  after  eating  the  pas- 
chal supper  with  his  disciples,  took  bread 
and  blessed  it,  and  brake  it,  and  gave  it  to 
the  disciples  and  said.  Take,  eat,  t  nis  is  my 
body,  which  is  broken  for  you  :  this  do  in 
remembrance  of  me.  After  the  same  man- 
ner also  he  took  the  cup,  and  gave  thanks 
and  gave  it  to  them,  saying.  Drink  ye  all 
of  it :  for  this  is  the  new  covenant  in  my 
blood,  which  is  shed  for  many  unto  re- 
mission of  sins;  this  do  ye  as  oft  as  ye 
drink  it  in  remembrance  of  me.  Matt.  26 : 
19-30 ;  Mark  14  :  16-26 ;  Luke  22  :  13-20 ;  1 
Cor.  11 :  23-26.  R.  V.  Nothing  can  surpass 
the  touching  simpUcity  and  appropriateness 
of  this  memorial  service. 

LiOt  (lot),  veil  or  covering.  The  son  of 
Haran  and  nephew  of  Abraham.  Gen.  11 : 
27,  31.  His  sisters  were  Milcah  the  wife  of 
Nahor,  and  Iscah,  by  some  identified  with 
Sarah.  Haran  died  "before  the  emigiatiou 
of  Terah  and  his  family  from  Ur  of  the 
Chaldees,  ver.  28,  and  Lot  was  therefore 
boiTi  there.  He  removed  with  the  rest  of  his 
kindred  to  Haran,  and  again  subsequently 
with  Abraham  and  Sarai  to  Canaan.    Gen. 

12  :  4,  5.  With  them  he  took  refuge  in 
Egypt  from  a  famine,  and  with  them  re- 
turned fiist  to  the  "  Sovith,"  Gen.  13 : 1,  and 
then  to  tlieir  original  settlement  between 
Bethel  and  Ai.  vs.  3,  4.  Later,  they  sepa- 
rated. Lot  choosing  the  fertile  plain"  of  the 
Jordan,  near  Sodom.  Gen.  13 :  10-14.  Lot 
was  captured  by  the  four  kings  of  the  East, 
and  rescued  by  Abram.  Gen.  14.  He 
was  still  li^^ng  in  Sodom,  Gen.  19,  from 
which  he  was  rescued  by  angels  on  the 
day  of  its  final  overthrow.  He  fled  first 
to  Zoar,  in  which  he  found  a  temporary 
refuge  during  the  destruction  of  the  other 
cities  of  the  plain.  The  end  of  Lot's  wife 
is  commonly  treated  as  one  of  the  difficul- 
ties of  the  Bible  ;  but  it  surely  need  not  be 
so.  The  value  and  the  significance  of  the 
story  to  us  are  contained  in  the  allusion  of 
Christ.  Luke  17  :  32.  It  is  folly  to  think  of 
identifying  the  "pillar"  with  some  one  of 
the  fleeting  forms  which  the  perishable 
rock  of  tne  south  end  of  the  Dead  Sea  is 
constantly  assuming.  From  the  incestuous 
intercourse  between  Lot  and  his  two  daugh- 
ters sprang  the  nations  of  Moab  and  Am- 
moa 

L.ot.    Casting  lots  or  a  pebble  is  an  an- 
cient custom  of  deciding  doubtful  ques- 
144 


tions.  Prov.  16:33.  Among  the  Jews  lots 
were  used  with  the  expectation  that  God 
would  so  control  them  as  to  give  a  right 
direction  to  them,  as  in  the  choice  of  the 
apostle  Matthias,  Acts  1  :  26,  and  in  the 
cases  of  Saul  and  Jonathan,  and  Jonah  and 
his  companions  to  determine  who  had  of- 
fended God.  1  Sam.  14  :  41,  42 ;  Jonah  1 : 7. 
In  the  division  of  the  Promised  Land 
among  the  tribes  of  Israel  the  use  of  the 
lot  was  expressly  commanded  by  God 
himself,  it  being  understood  that  the  ex- 
tent of  territory  should  be  proportioned  to 
the  population  of  each  tribe.  Num.  26  :  55. 
So  the  selection  of  the  scapegoat  on  the 
day  of  atonement  was  to  be  determined 
by  lot.  Lev.  16 : 8.  Property  was  divided 
in  a  similar  way.  Ps.  22 :  18  ;  Matt.  27  :  35. 
The  orders  of  the  priests  and  their  daily 
services  were  also  assigned  by  lot.  1  Chron. 
chaps.  24,  25.  The  manner  of  casting  lots 
is  supposed  to  have  been  by  stones  or  marks 
which  were  thrown  together  into  the  lap  or 
fold  of  a  garment,  or  into  an  urn  or  vase, 
and  the  person  holding  them  shook  them 
violently,  and  they  were  then  drawn.  The 
passage,"  Prov.  16 :  ;?3,  is  paraphrased  thus  : 
"In  a  lot-vase  the  lots  are  shaken  in  ail 
directions ;  nevertheless,  from  the  Lord  is 
the  whole  decision  or  judgment." 

LiOve  Feasts,  Agape.  Jude  12;  2  Pet. 
2 :  13.  A  meeting  accompanying  the  Lord's 
Supper  in  which  the  poorer  members  of 
the  church  were  provided  for  by  the  con- 
tributions of  Cliristians,  but  whether  before 
or  after  the  celebration  is  uncertain.  Chrj's- 
ostom  says  that  after  the  early  com- 
munity of  goods  had  ceased,  the  richer 
members  brought  to  the  church  contribu- 
tions of  food  and  drink,  of  which,  after 
the  conclusion  of  the  services  and  the  cel- 
ebration of  the  Lord's  Supper,  all  partook 
together,  by  this  means  helping  to  promote 
the  principle  of  love  among  Christians. 
The  love  feasts  were  forbidden  to  be  held 
in  churches  by  the  Council  of  Laodicea, 
A.D.  320;  but  in  some  form  or  other  they 
have  been  continued  in  some  churches. 

Liucifer  (h'l'si-fer),  light-bringer.  The 
original  word  signifies  brilliant  star,  i.  e., 
the  morning  star.  The  title  is  applied  to 
the  king  of  Babylon  in  Isa.  14 :  12,  R.  V., 
day  star ;  he  had  outshone  other  kings,  as 
the  bright  star  of  the  morning  surpasses 
other  stars.  Falling  from  heaven  denotes 
a  sudden  political  overthrow  or  catastro- 
phe. In  popular  language  Lucifer  is  re- 
garded as  an  appellation  of  Satan. 

Lucius  {lu'shi-us).  A  Cyrenian,  a  Chris- 
tian teacher  at  Antioch.  'Acts  13 : 1.  It  is 
probably  the  same  person  whom  Paul  calls 
his  kinsman,  i.  e.,  of  his  own  tribe,  and 
whose  salutation  he  conveys  to  the  Roman 
church.    Rom.  16  : 2. 

L,uke  {Ixike),  Col.  4  :  14 ;  called  also  Lu- 
cas, Philemon  24,  A.  V.  A  physician  and 
distinguished  companion  of  Paul,  and 
writer  of  the  third  Gospel  and  the  book  of 
the  Acts.  The  diction  of  these  books  in 
the  New  Testament,  the  gospel  and  the 
Acts,  is  such  as  to  persuade  some  that  he 
must  have  been  a  Jew.  But  Paul,  writing 
to  the  Colossians,  after  mentioning  all  "  of 


LUKE,  THE  GOSPEL  OF 


JF  THE  BIBLE. 


MAACHAH 


the  circumcision"  who  had  been  a  com- 
fort unto  him,  adds  the  salutation  of  "  Luke, 
the  beloved  physician."  Col.  4  :  10-14.  The 
inference  is  that  Luke  was  not  a  Jew. 
Luke  is  traditionally  said  to  be  a  native  of 
Antioch;  this,  however,  has  no  better 
foundation  than  the  confounding  of  him 
with  that  Lucius  who  is  reckoned  among 
the  teachers  at  Antioch,  Acts  V6 : 1 ;  from 
whom  he  must  certainly  be  distinguished. 

Luke,  the  Gospel  of.  This  is  the  third 
In  order  of  the  gospels,  attributed  com- 
monly to  the  evangelist  whose  name  it 
bears.  It  is  addressed  to  Theophilus,  and 
begins  by  stating  the  object  of  v/riting, 
namely,  to  put  on  record  an  authentic  or- 
derly account  of  our  Lord's  history  from 
his  birth  to  his  ascension.  1 : 1-4.  Then  fol- 
lows a  narrative  of  Christ's  birth  with  at- 
tendant circumstances,  and  particulars  of  his 
infancy  and  youth.  1:5-2: 52.  Afterwards 
we  have  a  notice  of  John's  ministry,  to  his 
imprisonment.  3  :  1-20.  And  then  com- 
mences the  history  of  Christ's  public  min- 
istration, headed  with  a  mention  of  his 
baptism,  vs.  21,  22 ;  his  genealogy,  vs.  23- 
38  :  his  temptation,  4  : 1-13  ;  his  discourses, 
miracles,  and  transactions  in  Gahlee.  4 : 
14-9  :  50.  The  gospel  closes  with  Christ's 
Persean  ministry,  his  last  journey  to 
Jerusalem,  his  passion,  death,  resurrec- 
tion, and  ascension.  9 :  51-24  :  53.  Luke 
wrote  his  gospel  in  Greek.  His  writings 
jyrove  him  to  have  been  a  man  of  educa- 
tion and  attainment.  His  style  is  pure, 
copious,  and  flowing,  more  classical  than 
that  of  the  other  evangelists  :  the  preface, 
indeed,  is  pure  classical  Greek.  Still,  there 
are  many  Hebraisms,  and  certain  peculiar- 
ities of  diction  apparent.  The  writer,  more- 
over, evinces  a  thorough  acquaintance  with 
Jewish  customs.  This  is  not  surprising  in 
so  clear-sishted  an  oteerver,  especially  as 
he  certainly  visited  and  perhaps  more  than 
once  resided  in  Palestine.  He  had,  too, 
the  close  intimacy  of  the  apostle  Paul.  A 
singular  propriety  has  been  observed  in  the 
way  in  which  he  names  and  describes  the 
various  diseases  he  has  occasion  to  men- 
tion. The  thoughtful  comments,  too,  which 
he  frequently  makes  upon  the  circum- 
stances he  records,  with  the  notice  of  the 
causes  which  led  to  particular  events,  ad- 
mirably correspond  with  what  we  might 
expect  from  a  well-infonned  medical  man. 

liunatics.  Latin  luna,  the  moon.  In- 
sane persons  were  supposed  to  be  affected 
by  the  changes  of  the  moon.  This  word  is 
used  twice  in  the  New  Testament— Matt. 
4  :  24  ;  17  :  15 ;  but  rendered  epileptic  in  the 
R.  V.  The  word  refers  to  some  disease  af- 
fecting both  the  body  and  the  mind,  which 
might  or  might  not  be  a  sign  of  possession. 
By  the  description  of  Mark  9 :  17-26  it  is 
inferred  that  this  disease  was  epilepsy. 

L.UZ  (ICiz).  almond  tree.  1.  The  Canaanite 
name  for  the  place  in  which  Jacob  rested 
and  had  a  prophetic  vision,  and  afterward 
the  city  of  Bethel;  now  Beitin.  Gen.  28  : 
19 :  35  :  6 ;  48 : 3 ;  Josh.  16 : 2  ;  18 :  13  ;  Judg. 
1 :  23.  2.  A  city  in  the  land  of  the  Hittites, 
built  by  an  inhabitant  of  the  original  Luz, 
who  was  spared  when  the  city  was  sacked, 


Judg.  1  :  23 ;  now  Luweiziyeh,  four  miles 

northwest  of  Banias, 

Liycaonia  {ly-ka-o'ni-ah).  A  province  of 
Asia  Minor  which  the  apostle  Paul  twice 
visited.  Acts  14  : 1-23  ;  16 : 1-6.  It  was  sep- 
arated from  Phrygia,  and  bounded  north 
by  Galatia,  east  by  Cappadocia,  south  by 
Cihcia,  and  west  by  Pisidia  and  Phrygia. 
Its  chief  towns  were  Iconium,  Derbe,"  and 
Lystra.  The  speech  of  this  province,  Acts 
14 :  11,  is  supposed  to  have  been  either  a 
Syrian  or  a  corrupted  Greek  dialect. 

L.ycia  (lish'i-ah),  a  region  of  Asia  Minor, 
on  the  Mediterranean,  between  Caria  and 
Pamphyha.  It  acquired  some  pohtical 
importance,  as  shown  by  1  Mace.  15  :  23.  In 
the  reign  of  Claudius  it  became  a  Roman 
province.  Paul  visited  it,  and  preached 
the  gospel  in  its  two  largest  cities,  Patara, 
Acts  21 : 1,  and  Myra,  Acts  27  : 5. 

liydda  (lyd'dah).  Ezra  2  :  33.  The  Greek 
name  for  the  Hebrew  Lud,  the  present 
Lydd,  now  a  village,  but  in  ancient  times  a 
large  town  situated  in  the  plain  of  Sharon, 
a  few  miles  east  of  Joppa,  on  the  road  to 
Jerusalem.  It  was  burnt  several  times  by 
the  Romans,  but  again  rebuilt.  Here  Peter 
healed  the  paralytic  ^neas.    Acts  9  :  32. 

L,ydia  {lyd'i-a'h).  1.  A  Jewish  proselvte 
from  the  city  of  Thyatira,  in  Lydia,  en- 
gaged in  the  purple  trade,  possessed  of 
wealth,  and  temporarily  residing  at  Phil- 
ippi,  where  she  heard  Paul  preach.  Acts 
16  :  14.  She  accepted  the  gospel,  was  bap- 
tized together  with  her  household,  and 
Paul  stayed  at  her  house.  2.  Ezek.  30 :  5, 
R.  V.  "Lud."  where  it  probably  refers  to 
a  people  or  place  in  Africa.  It  was  also  a 
coast  region  of  Asia  Minor,  and  formed  in 
olden  times  tlae  centre  of  a  great  empire 
under  Croesus ;  afterward  it  belonged  suc- 
cessively to  Syria,  Pergamus,  and  the 
Romans.  Its  principal  cities  were  Sardis, 
Thyatira,  and  Philadelphia.  It  is  men- 
tioned in  1  ISIacc.  8 :  8  among  the  provinces 
\^'hieh  the  Romans  transferred  from  Syria 
to  Pergamus. 

Liysti'a  (lys'trah).  A  city  of  Lycaonia, 
the  site  was  recovered  by  Sterrett,  1885. 
Paul  visited  this  place  twice,  the  first  time 
in  company  with  Barnabas,  Acts  14,  when 
he  was  saluted  as  the  god  Mercury,  but 
afterward  stoned  ;  the  second  time  in  com- 
pany with  Silas.  Acts  16.  Timothy  was 
probably  born  here.    2  Tim.  3  :  11. 

M 

Maacah  (md'a-kah),  oppression,  2  Sam.  3  : 
3 :  or  Maacliali,  1  Chn  m.  3:2.  1 .  A  daughter 
of  Talmai,  king  of  Geshur,  was  taken  in 
battle  by  David,  according  to  Hebrew  tra- 
dition, and  made  one  of  his  wives  and  bore 
him  Absalom.  2.  A  small  district  or  king- 
dom on  the  northeastern  frontier  of  Pales- 
tine, in  Syria,  near  Ammon  and  toward 
Mesopotamia,  2  Sam.  10  :  6  ;  or  J^laacliah, 
1  Chron.  19 : 6,  7. 

Maacliali  {md'a-kah).  1.  The  daughter 
of  Nahor,  Abraham's  brother.  Gen.  22 : 
24.  2.  The  father  of  Achish,  who  was  king 
of  G;ith  !!i  Solomon's  reign,  1  Kings  2  :  39  ; 
Ls  also  called  Moach.  1  Sam.  27 : 2.  3.  The 
145 


MACEDONIA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


MAKKEDAH 


daughter  or  more  probably  the  grand- 
daughter of  Absalom,  and  the  third  wife 
of  Rehoboani,  mother  to  Abijah  and  grand- 
mother to  Asa,  1  Kings  15  : 2  ;  2  Chron.  11  : 
20-22;  but  the  R.  V.  reads  "Maacah."  In 
2  Chron.  13  :  2  she  is  called  "  Michaiah,  the 
daughter  of  Uriel  of  Gibeah,"  "  Michaiah  " 
being  a  variation  of  "  Maachah,"  and  Uriel 
being  the  husband  of  Absalom's  daughter 
Tamar.  In  the  beginning  of  Asa's  reign 
she  held  the  dignitv  of  queen-mother,  1 

''  Kings  15 :  2,  10,  13 :  2  Chron.  11 :  20-22  ;  but 
when  Asa  came  of  age  she  lost  the  dignity 
as  a  punishment  because  she  had  intro- 
duced idolatry.  2  Chron.  15  :  16.  There 
are  eight  pei-sons  of  this  name  mentioned 
in  the  Bible. 

Macedonia  {mds-e-do'ni-ah),  extended 
land.  Macedonia  is  situated  in  a  great  ba- 
sin north  of  Greece,  nearly  surrounded  by 
the  mountains  and  the  s*ea.  The  third 
great  world-kingdom,  the  Macedonian  em- 

.  pire,  received  its  name  from  this  compara- 
tively little  spot.  Comp.  Dan.  8  :  5-8,  21. 
The  Romans  conquered  the  territory  from 
Perseus.  It  was  at  first  divided  into  four 
districts,  after^vard  consohdated  into  one 
with  its  capital  at  Thessalonica,  where  the 
proconsul  resided.  In  New  Testament  his- 
tory Macedonia  holds  an  important  place 
because  of  the  labors  of  the  apostles.  Paul 
was  called  there  by  the  vision  of  the  "  man 
of  Macedonia,"  and  made  a  most  successful 
missionary  tour.  Acts  16  :  lU ;  17  :  1-12. 
He  visited  it  again,  Acts  20  : 1-6,  and  prob- 
ably for  a  third  time.  Comp.  1  Tim.  1:3; 
Phil.  2  :  24.  His  Epistles  to  the  Thessalo- 
nians  and  Philippians  show  that  the  Mace- 
donian Christians  exhibited  many  excel- 
lent traits.  The  details  of  his  work  can  be 
studied  in  connection  with  the  cities  of 
Macedonia  visited  by  him.  See  Neapolis, 
Philippi,  Apollonia,  Thessalonica, 
Bersea. 

Maclipelah  {mak-pe'lah),  double  cave. 
A  field  in  Hebron  containing  the  cave 
which  Abraham  bought  of  Ephron  the 
Hittite  as  a  burial-place  for  his  family.  A 
full  account  of  the  negotiations,  carried  on 
after  the  oriental  fonns  still  prevalent,  is 
given  in  Gen.  23.  That  cave  became  the 
burial-place  of  Abraham  and  Sarah,  Isaac 
and  Rebekah,  Jacob  and  Leah.  Gen.  23 : 
19  :  25 : 9 ;  49  :  29-32 ;  50  :  12,  13.  The  name 
does  not  occur  except  in  the  book  of  Gen- 
esis. The  cave  Machpelah  is  one  of  the 
Bible  sites  which  are  positively  known.  It 
was  situated  on  the  western  slope  of  a  hill 
in  Hebron,  the  town  lying  for  the  most 
part  to  the  south  and  west,  ^^'ithin  an  en- 
closure is  a  mosque,  which  was  probably 
erected  in  the  time  of  Justinian  as  a  Chris- 
tian church.  Visitors  are  rigidly  excluded, 
but  by  a  special  firman  of  the" sultan  the 
Prince  of  Wales  was  admitted  in  1862,  and 
others  have  since  entered  it.  Of  the  cave 
itself  there  is  no  trustworthy  account. 
Captain  Warren  was  told  that  it  had  not 
been  entered  for  600  years.  The  Moslems 
have  a  superstition  that  whoever  attempts 
to  enter  it  will  be  struck  dead,  and  their 
fanaticism  causes  them  to  prohibit  any  one 
from  making  the  attempt.  It  is  thought  to 
146 


be  possible  that  the  embalmed  body  of  Ja* 
cob  may  still  be  preserved  in  the  cave,  as 
Egyptian  mummies  have  been  found  of  as 
early  a  date. 

Magdala  (mag'da-lah),  toiver.  In  the 
chief  manuscripts  and  versions  the  name 
is  given  as  "  Magadan."  Magdala  is  found 
only  in  Matt.  15  :  39.  The  parallel  passage, 
Mark  8  :  10,  has  the  "  parts  of  Dalmanutha," 
on  the  western  edge  of  the  lake.  The  two 
regions  or  districts  were  probably  near  each 
other.  The  Magdala  from  which  Mary 
ISIagdalene  was  named  is  perhaps  identical 
with  ]\Iigdal-el,  Josh.  19  :  38,  and  may  be 
the  modern  el-Mejdel. 

Magi,  great,  powerful.  Wise  men,  "  rab- 
mag,"  Jer.  39  : 3,  which  is  used  as  a  proper 
name,  and  properly  signifies  the  prince 
Magus,  or  chief  of  the  Magi.  In  Babylon 
the  magi  were  known  by  the  name  of 
"wise  men"  and"  Chaldeans."  Isa.  44: 
25 ;  Jer.  50  :  35  :  Dan.  2  :  12-27  ;  4  : 6.  18  ;  5 :  7, 
8,  11.  12,  15.  To  their  number,  doubtless, 
belonged  the  "astrologers"  and  "star- 
gazers,"  Isa.  47  :  13 ;  also  the  "  soothsayers  " 
and  the  "  dream  interpreters."  Dan.  1 :  20 ; 
2  :  2,  27 ;  4  :  7  ;  5  :  7,  11.  Daniel  describes 
them  as  men  of  wisdom,  Dan.  1 :  20 ;  he 
intercedes  for  them  with  Nebuchadnezzar, 
Dan.  2  :  24 ;  and  accepts  a  position  as  their 
chief  or  master.  Dan.  5  :  11.  The  same  im- 
pression of  dignity,  truthfulness,  and  aspi- 
ration after  the  true  religion  is  conveyed 
by  the  narrative  in  Matt.  2  : 1-14.  Whence 
these  Magi  came  we  do  not  certainly  know, 
but  probably  from  the  lands  of  the  Jewish 
captivity  on  the  Euphrates. 

Magic  wa«;  the  art  of  influencing  future 
events  and  changing  their  course  by  dark 
and  secret  means.  Of  the  rehgion  of  the 
Egyptians,  Chaldfeans,  Persians,  etc.,  magic 
formed  an  essential  element,  and  of  the 
Egyptian  magicians,  in  their  conflict  with 
Moses  and  Aaron.  Exodus  gives  a  vivid  ac- 
count. 7  :  11,  12,  22 ;  8 : 7.  Of  the  religion 
of  the  Jews  magic  did  not  only  not  form  a 
part,  but  the  law  forbade  the  consulting  of 
magicians,  under  penalty  of  death.  Lev. 
19  :  31 ;  20  :  6.  Nevertheless,  from  their 
neighbors  magic  crept  in  among  the  Israel- 
ites. The  most  remarkable  instance  is  that 
of  Saul  and  the  sorceress  of  Endor.  1  Sam. 
28  :  3-20.  Also  in  the  New  Testament  we 
find  it  mentioned.    Acts  8  : 9. 

Maivanaim  (md'ha-nd'im),  two  camps. 
A  town  east  of  the  Jordan,  named  by  Ja- 
cob. Gen.  32  : 1,  2.  It  was  assigned  to  the 
Levites,  Josh.  13  :  26,  30  ;  21 :  38 ;  1  Chron.  6 : 
80,  and  lay  within  the  territory  of  Gad, 
north  of  the  torrent  Jabbok.  Mahanaim 
became  in  the  time  of  the  monarchy  a 
place  of  mark.  2  Sam.  2  : 8,  12 ;  2  Sam.  19 : 
32.  Abner  fixed  Ishbosheth's  residence 
there,  and  David  took  refuge  in  it  when 
driven  out  of  the  Avestern  part  of  his  king- 
dom by  Absalom.  2  Sam.  17  :  24 ;  1  Kings 
2  :  8.  Mahanaim  was  the  seat  of  one  of 
Solomon's  commissariat  officers,  1  Kings  4  : 
14,  and  it  is  alluded  to  in  his  Song,  6:13. 
Dr.  Merrill  locates  Mahanaim  in  the  Jor- 
dan valley,  six  miles  north  of  the  Jabbok, 
I  at  a  rnin  called  Sulcikhat. 
I     Makkedali  {mak-ke'dah),  place  of  shep- 


MALACHI 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


MANNA 


herds.  A  royal  city  of  the  Caiiaanites  in 
tlie  plains  of  Judah,  where  Joshua  executed 
the  five  confederate  kings.  Josli.  lu  :  10 ; 
12  :  16 ;  15  :  41.  Warren  would  identify  it 
with  el-Mughdr. 

Malachi  (mdVa-ki),  messenger  of  Jehovah. 
The  last  of  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment, and  called  "the  seal"  because  his 
prophecies  form  the  closing  book  of  the 
canon  of  the  Old  Testament.  Of  his  per- 
sonal life  nothing  is  known  but  what  can 
be  gleaned  from  his  book.  He  nourished 
after  the  captivity,  later  than  Haggai  and 
Zechariah,  at  a  time  when  the  temple  was 
completed,  and  was  probably  a  contempo- 
rary of  Nehemiah,  b.  c.  438.  His  prophe- 
cies are  at  once  denunciatory  of  prevaihng 
vices,  and  close  with  a  prophecy  of  the 
coming  of  Messiah,  and  foretells  that  Elijah 
will  return  as  a  forerunner  of  Messiah — a 
prediction  wliich  found  its  striking  fulfil- 
ment by  the  mission  of  John  the  Baptist. 
Mai.  4:5;  Luke  1 :  17 ;  Matt.  11 :  14 ;  17  :  12. 

Mallows.  The  Hebrew  word  malluahh, 
rendered  "  mallows,"  K.  V.  ''salt-wort,"  Job 
30  :  4,  is  derived  from  melahh  =  "  salt ; "  and 
seems  to  designate  a  saUne  plant— perhaps 
a  species  of  salt-wort ;  or  perhaps  the  gar- 
den mallow^  reared  in  Egypt,  and  boiled 
with  meat,  is  intended. 

Mauimon  {mam'mon),  tvealth.  A  Chal- 
dee  or  Syriac  word  used  by  our  Lord  in  ut- 
tering two  severe  admonitions.  In  the 
one.  Matt.  6  :  24,  he  would  intend  a  carnal 
worldly  possession-loving  spirit,  which  un- 
fits a  man  for  the  high  service  of  God.  In 
the  second  place,  Luke  16:9,  11,  mammon 
is  more  explicitly  wealth,  called  "n)am- 
mon  of  unrighteousness"  because  it  is  the 
substance  of  a  system,  an  avaricious  sys- 
tem, which  never  could  have  existed  had 
original  righteousness  not  been  lost. 

Manasseli  (ma-nds'seh),  forgetting.  1. 
The  first-born  of  Joseph.  When  he  and 
his  brother  Ephraim  were  boys,  and  Jacob, 
their  grandfather,  was  about  to  die,  Joseph 
took  them  into  the  patriarch's  presence  to 
receive  his  blessing.  Gen.  48  :  5-20.  Noth- 
ing further  is  known  of  the  personal  his- 
tory of  Manasseh.  The  eastern  part  of  the 
tribe  of  Manasseh  prospered  much  and 
spread  to  Mount  Hermon,  but  they  finally 
mixed  with  the  Canaanites,  adopted  their 
idolatry,  became  scattered  as  Bedouins  in 
the  desert,  and  were  the  first  to  be  carried 
away  into  captivity  by  the  kings  of  Assyria. 

1  Chron.  5 :  25.  The  western  Manasseh,  of 
which  only  a  few  glimpses  are  visible  in 
the  later  histor\'  of  Israel,  always  showed 
itself  on  the  right  side  ;  as,  for  instance,  in 
the  cases  of  Asa,  2  Chron.  15  :  9 ;  Hezekiah, 

2  Chron.  30  : 1,  11,  18,  and  Josiah,  2  Chron. 
34  : 6,  9.  2.  Son  and  successor  of  Hezekiah, 
king  of  Judah,  ascended  the  throne  at  the 
age  of  twelve  years,  b.  c.  696.  The  earlier 
part  of  his  reign  was  distinguished  for  acts 
of  impiety  and  cruelty,  2  Kings  21,  and  he 
succeeded  in  drawing  his  subiects  away 
from  the  Lord  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
only  kind  of  worship  wliich  was  not  al- 
lowed in  Judah  was  that  of  Jehovah.  2 
Kings  21  :  2-9.  Having  supported  the  Bab- 
ylonian viceroy  m  his  revolt  against  As- 


syria, he  was  at  last  taken  captive  by  the 
Assyrian  king  and  ignominiously  trans- 
ported to  Babylon.  Upon  liis  repentance, 
however,  he  was  liberated,  and  returned  to 
his  capital,  where  he  died  b.  c.  641,  after 
having  done  much  to  repair  the  evils  of 
his  former  hfe.    2  Chron.  33  : 1-20. 

3.  The  territory  of  Manasseh  occupied 
by  a  tribe  descended  from  Joseph,  and 
divided  into  two  portions — one  east  of  the 
Jordan,  and  the  other  west  of  it.  1.  East 
of  the  Jordan.— The  country  of  Manas- 
seh east  of  the  Jordan  included  half  of 
Gilead,  the  Hauran,  Bashan,  and  Argub. 
1  Chron.  5  :  18-23.  The  extensive  pastures 
of  Gilead  and  Bashan  gave  the  best  scope 
for  the  half-nomad  and  herdsman's  life 
led  by  this  portion  of  the  tribe.  Ps.  68; 
15.  The  people  were  powerful  and  brave, 
taking  a  leading  part  in  the  wars  of  Gid- 
eon, of  Jephthah,  and  of  David.  See  also 
Gilead  and  Haslian.  2.  West  of  the  Jor- 
dan.—The  portion  of  the  half-tribe  of  Ma- 
nasseh on  the  west  of  the  Jordan  extended 
from  the  Mediterranean  to  the  Jordan, 
and  lay  between  Asher  and  Issachar  on 
the  north  and  Ephraim  on  the  south.  Josh. 
17  :  7-10.  They  also  gained  some  towns 
in  Carmel  within  the  bounds  of  Issachar, 
probably  by  capturing  them  from  the  an- 
cient Canaanites.  Josli.  17  :  11-lS.  The 
dominant  position  of  Ephraim  seems  to 
have  obscured  the  power  of  Manasseh,  and 
this  portion  of  their  country  is  frequently 
joined  with  Ephraim  in  the  bibhcal  allu- 
sions. 

Mandrakes  (Heb.  love  plants).  Modern 
Bible  scholars  apply  this  name  to  a  mem- 
ber of  the  potato  family  {Mandragora  offici- 
nalis). This  is  a  stemless  plant  with  a  disk 
of  leaves  almost  as  long,  but  not  nearly  as 
broad,  as  those  of  the  garden  rhubarb, 
which  it  somewhat  resembles,  except  in  its 
blossoms.  The  odor  of  the  plant  seems  to 
be  enjoyed  by  Orientals,  Song  of  Sol.  7 : 
13,  and  by  .some  Occidentals.  Many  strange 
superstitions  are  connected  with  this  plant, 
and  the  idea  of  Rachel's  time  still  prevails 
that  conception  is  ensured  by  eating  the 
fruit  of  this  plant.    Gen.  30  :  14-16. 

Manna  {what  is  this?  Heh.mdn).  The 
chief  food  of  the  Israelites  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Ex.  16  :  14-36 ;  Num.  11 :  7-9  ;  Dent. 
8:3,  16 ;  Josh.  5  :  12  ;  Ps.  78  :  24,  25.  The 
most  remarkable  things  about  the  manna 
of  the  Israelites  were  :  1.  That  double  the 
quantity  was  supplied  on  the  day  preced- 
ing the  Sabbath  or  seventh  day ;  2.  That 
on  the  Sabbath  or  seventh  day  none  was 
furnished;  3.  That  what  they  kept  from 
the  sixth  day  to  the  seventh  was  sweet  and 
good,  while  what  they  kept  from  any  other 
day  to  the  next  day  bred  worms  and  be- 
came offensive.  These  miracles  were 
wrought  in  attestation  of  the  sanctity  of 
the  Sabbath.  The  manna  of  the  Jews  is 
described  as  "a  small  round  thing,"  as 
small  as  "the  hoarfrost  on  the  ground," 
"Uke  coriander  seed"  (in  shape  doubtless, 
perhaps  in  size  and  density),  "of  the  color 
of  bdellium."  "  and  the  taste  of  it  hke  wa- 
fers made  with  honey."  For  forty  years  this 
miraculous  supply  of  food  was  furnished 
147 


MAON 


PEOPLE- S  DICTIONARY 


MARRIAGE 


dailj^  to  between  3,000,000  and  4,000,000  of 
people.  Deut.  29  :  5,  6.  It  ceased  wliile 
they  -were  encamped  at  Gilgal,  immediately 
after  they  had  celebrated  the  passover  for 
the  first  time  in  the  Laud  of  Promise.  To 
commemorate  this  wonderful  miracle  a 
golden  pot  was  provided,  Ex.  16 :  33  ;  Heb. 
9 : 4,  and  an  omer  (or  one  man's  portion) 
of  the  manna  put  up  for  preservation  and 
placed  in  or  near  the  ark,  that  succeeding 
generations  might  see  with  their  own  eyes 
the  verj^  substance  on  which  their  fathers 
were  miraculously  fed  in  their  long  and 
perilous  journeyings  from  Egypt  to  Canaan. 
The  manna  which  is  now  used  in  medicine 
as  a  mild  laxative  is  the  juice  of  the  flow- 
ering ash,  a  native  of  Sicily,  Calabria,  and 
other  parts  of  the  south  of  Europe.  It  is 
either  naturally  concreted,  or  exsiccated, 
and  purified  by  art.  The  best  manna  is  in 
oblong  pieces  or  flakes  of  a  pale  yellow 
color;  light,  friable,  and  somewhat  trans- 
parent. It  has  no  characteristics  in  com- 
mon with  the  manna  miraculously  sup- 
phed  to  the  Israelites  while  journeying 
through  the  wilderness.  Wherever  the 
manna  is  referred  to  in  Scripture,  it  is  in- 
variably regarded  as  a  miraculous  food 
sent  directly  from  God.  The  Lord  Jesus 
accepted  the  manna  as  a  type  of  himself— 
the  living  bread  which  came  down  from 
heaven.  "  For  the  bread  of  God  is  he  which 
cometh  down  from  heaven  and  giveth  life 
unto  the  world."  John  6  :  33,  48,  50.  The 
phrase  "  hidden  manna,"  Rev.  2  :  17,  figura- 
tively describes  the  spiritual  food  which 
Christ  supplies  to  those  who  beheve  in  him 
and  live  by  faith  in  him. 

3Iaon  (ma'on).  1.  Founder  of  Beth-zur, 
1  Chron.  2  :  45.  2.  One  of  the  ciries  of  Ju- 
dah,  in  the  mountains,  Josh.  15  :  55,  and  a 
district  where  David  hid  from  Saul,  and 
near  which  Nabal  had  possessions.  1  Sam. 
23  :  24,  25.  The  name  of  Maon  still  exists 
in  Main,  a  lofty  conical  hill  100  feet  loigh, 
about  eight  miles  south  from  Hebron. 

Marah  {md'rah),  bitterness.  A  place  in 
the  wilderness  of  Shur  or  Etham,  three 
days'  journey.  Num.  33 : 8,  9,  from  the  place 
at  which  the  Israelites  crossed  the  Red  Sea. 
There  was  at  Marah  a  spring  of  bitter  wa- 
ter, sweetened  subsequently  by  the  casting 
in  of  a  tree  which  "  the  Lord  showed  "  to 
Moses.  Ex.  15 :  23,  24  ;  Num.  33  : 8,  9.  Prob- 
ably 'Ain  Hawarah,  47  miles  from  Ayun 
Moiisa,  where  is  a  spring. 

Maranatha  {mar'a-nCith'ah).  An  Aramaic 
expression  signifying  "Our  Lord  "will 
come."    1  Cor.  16:22. 

Mareshali  {ma-re' shah),  top  of  a  hiU.  A 
city  of  Judah  in  the  low  country.  Josh. 
15^44.  It  was  fortified  and  garrisoned  by 
Rehoboam  after  the  rupture  with  the  north- 
ern kingdom.  2  Chron.  11  : 8.  Near  it  the 
great  battle  between  Zerah  and  Asa  was 
fought.  2  Chron.  14 :  9-12.  It  is  mentioned 
once  or  twice  in  the  history-  of  the  Macca- 
baean  struggles.    1  Mace.  5 ;  2  Mace.  12  :  35. 

Mark  {mark).  John  whose  surname  was 
Mark,  Acts  12  ;  12,  was  the  son  of  Marj-,  a 
woman  of  piety  who  lived  at  Jerr.salem. 
The  disciples  occasionally  assembled  at  her 
house  for  prayer,  and  she  was  sister  to  Bar- 
148 


nabas.  Col.  4  :  10.  He  is  also  called  Mar- 
cus. Peter  styles  Mark  his  son,  1  Pet.  5 : 
13 :  meaning  his  spiritual  son— that  he  was 
converted  by  that  apostle.  Mark  left  Jeru- 
salem for  Antioch  with  Paul  and  Barnabas, 
Acts  12 :  25,  and  accompanied  them  on  their 
first  missionary  journey.  He  left  them  at 
Perga  and  returned  to  Jerusalem.  This 
afterward  led  to  a  serious  dispute  be- 
tween Paul  and  Barnabas.  Acts  13  :  5, 
13 ;  15  :  39.  They  therefore  separated, 
Mark  sailing  with  his  uncle  Barnabas  to 
Cyprus.  Acts  15  :  36-39.  At  a  later  period 
he  was  again  with  Paul  during  his  first  im- 
prisonment at  Rome,  Col.  4  :  10,  and  he  re- 
gained Paul'  s  confidence.  2  Tim.  4 :  11. 
We  find  him  also  with  Peter,  1  Pet.  5  :  13, 
with  whom  he  is  said  to  have  travelled, 
and  to  have  been  his  amanuensis.  Noth- 
ing further  of  him  is  recorded  in  the  Scrip- 
ture; but  we  may  identify  him  with  the 
author  of  the  second  Gospel,  and  may  read- 
ily believe  ecclesiastical  history  which  tells 
us  that  he  was  bishop  of  the  church  in 
Alexandria.  Whether  he  died  a  natural 
death  or  by  martyrdom  is  uncertain, 

Mark,  the  Gospel  of.  The  universal 
consent  of  the  ancient  church  ascribed  the 
second  gospel  to  John  Mark.  It  has  also 
been  said  that  he  wrote  under  the  superin- 
tendence of  Peter.  The  arrangement  of 
tills  gospel  appears  to  be  :  1.  A  short  intro- 
duction noticing  the  mission  of  John  Bap- 
tist. 1  : 1-8.  2.  The  pubhc  ministry  of 
Christ,  his  discourses  and  actions  in  Galilee, 
prefaced  by  an  account  of  his  baptism. 
1:9-9:  50.  3.  Our  Lord's  last  journeyings 
toward  Jerusalem,  -oith  the  narrative  of 
his  passion,  death,  resurrection,  and  ascen- 
sion. 10  to  16  :  20.  It  exhibits  Christ  as  the 
spiritual  conqueror  and  wonder-worker, 
the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  filling  the 
people  with  amazement  and  fear.  Mark 
introduces  several  Latin  terms;  he  even 
substitutes  Roman  money  for  Greek,  12 : 
42,  which  Luke  does  not,  and  notices  that 
Simon  of  Cyrene  was  the  father  of  Alex- 
ander and  Rufus,  15  :  21,  who  probably  were 
Christians  in  Rome.  Rom.  16 :  13.  It  is, 
therefore,  most  likely  that  the  Gospel  was 
written  in  that  city.  ' 

Market,  or  Market  Place.  In  the 
Old  Testament  this  Mord  occurs  only  once. 
Ezek.  27  :  13,  A.  V. ;  in  the  New  Testament 
oftener,  Matt.  23 : 7 ;  Mark  12  :  38 ;  Luke  11 : 
43;  20:46;  Acts  16:19,  etc.,  and  we  learn 
from  Matt.  20  :  3  that  not  only  were  all 
kinds  of  produce  offered  for  sale  here,  but 
hither  resorted  also  the  laborers  to  find  em- 
plovment.  It  was  frequented  by  business 
men  and  by  crowds  of  idlers  and  loungers. 
In  a  strictlv  Oriental  city,  such  as  Jerusa- 
lem, the  market  had  not,  hke  the  forum, 
this  character  of  being  the  centre  of  all 
public  life.  Still  it  was  always  a  Uvely 
place,  generally  situated  just  within  the 
gate,  and  the  principal  scene  of  trade  and 
traffic. 

Marriage.  The  institution  of  marriage 
dates  from  the  time  of  man's  original  crea- 
tion. Gen.  2  :  18-25.  The  marriage  bond 
is  not  to  be  dissolved  except  on  the  strong- 
est grounds.    Comp.  Matt.  19  :  9.    On  the 


MARS'  HILL 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


MARTHA 


relation  of  the  wife  to  the  husband,  see 
1  Cor.  11  :  8,  9 ;  1  Tim.  2  :  13.  In  tlie  patri- 
archal age  polygamy  prevailed.    Geii.  16: 

4  ;  25  : 1,  6  ;  28  :  9  ;  29  :  23,  28  ;  1  Chron.  7  : 
14.  Divorce  also  prevailed  in  the  patri- 
archal age,  though  but  one  instance  of  it 
is  recorded.  Gen.  21 :  14.  The  Mosaic  law 
discouraged  polygamy,  restricted  divorce, 
and  aimed  to  enforce  purity  of  life.  It  was 
the  best  civil  law  possible  at  the  time,  and 
sought  to  bring  the  people  up  to  the  pure 
standard  of  the  moral  law.  Our  Lord  and 
his  apostles  re-estabhshed  the  integrity 
and  sanctity  of  marriage,  Matt.  19  :  4,  5 ; 

5  :  32 ;  19  :  9 ;  Rom.  7  :  3 ;  1  Cor.  7  :  10,  11, 
and  enforced  moral  purity,  Heb.  13  ;  4,  etc., 
especially  by  the  formal  condemnation  of 
fornication.  Acts  15  :  20.  In  the  Hebrew 
commonwealth  an  Israehte  and  a  non- 
Israelite  were  not  allowed  to  marry,  ex- 
cept in  a  few  special  cases,  and  IsraeUtes 
closely  related  could  not  marry.  See  Lev.  18  : 
6-18,  and  for  exceptions,  Deut.  25 :  5-9.  The 
law  which  regulates  this  exception  has 
been  named  the  "levirate"  law,  from  the 
Latin  levir,  "brother-in-law."  The  choice 
of  the  bride  devolved  not  on  the  bride- 
groom himself,  but  on  his  relations  or  on  a 
friend  deputed  for  this  purpose.  The  con- 
sent of  the  maiden  was  sometimes  asked. 
Gen.  24 :  58  ;  but  this  appears  to  have  been 
subordinate  to  the  previous  consent  of  the 
father  and  the  adult  brothers.  Gen.  24  :  51 ; 
34 :  11.  The  act  of  betrothal  was  celebrated 
by  a  feast,  and  among  the  more  modern 
Jews  it  is  the  custom  in  some  parts  for  the 
bridegroom  to  place  a  ring  on  the  bride's 
linger.  The  ring  was  regarded  among  the 
Hebrews  as  a  token  of  fidelity,  Gen.  41 :  42, 
and  of  adoption  into  a  family.  Luke  15  : 
22.  During  the  interval  between  betrothal 
and  marriage,  the  bride  lived  with  her 
friends  ;  her  communications  with  her  fu- 
ture husband  were  carried  on  through  a 
friend  deputed  for  the  purpose,  termed  the 
"friend  of  the  bridegroom."  John  3  :  29. 
She  was  regarded  as  the  wife  of  her  future 
husband ;  hence  faithlessness  on  her  part 
wa^  punishable  with  death,  Deut.  22  :  23,  24, 
the  husband  having,  however,  the  option 
of  "  putting  her  away."  Deut.  24  : 1  ;  Matt. 
1 :  19.  At  the  marriage  ceremony  the  bride 
removed  from  her  father's  house  to  that  of 
the  bridegroom  or  his  father.  The  bride- 
groom prepared  himself  for  the  occasion  by 
putting  on  a  festival  dress,  and  especially  by 
placing  on  his  head  a  liandsome  nuptial 
turban.  Ps.  45  : 8 ;  Song  of  Sol.  4  :  10, 11.  The 
bride  was  veiled.  Her  robes  were  white. 
Rev.  19  :  8,  and  sometimes  embroidered 
with  gold  thread,  Ps.  45 :  13,  14,  and  cov- 
ered with  perfumes,  Ps.  45  :  8 ;  she  was 
further  decked  out  with  jewels.  Isa.  49 : 
18 ;  61  :  10 ;  Rev.  21  :  2.  When  the  fixed 
hour  arrived,  which  was  generally  late  in 
the  evening,  the  bridegroom  set  forth  from 
his  house  attended  by  his  groomsmen  (A. 
V.  "  companions,"  Judg.  14  :  11 ;  "  children 
of  the  bride-chamber,"  Matt.  9  :  15),  pre- 
ceded by  a  band  of  musicians  or  singers. 
Gen.  31  ;  27 ;  Jer.  7  :  34 ;  16  :  9,  and  accom- 
panied by  persons  bearing  flambeaux,  Jer. 
25 :  10 ;  2  Esdr.  10 : 2 ;  Matt.  25 :  7 ;  Rev.  18  : 

10 


23,  and  took  the  bride  with  the  friends  to 
his  own  house.  At  the  house  a  feast  was 
prepared,  to  which  all  the  friends  and 
neighbors  were  invited,  Gen.  29 :  22 ;  Matt. 
22  : 1-10  ;  Luke  14  :  8  ;  John  2  :  2,  and  the 
festivities  were  protracted  for  seven  or  even 
fourteen  days.  Judg.  14  :  12 ;  Tob.  8  :  19. 
The  guests  were  sometimes  furnished  with 
fitting  robes.  Matt.  22  :  11,  and  the  feast  was 
enlivened  with  riddles,  Judg.  14:12,  and 
other  amusements.  The  last  act  in  the  cer- 
emonial was  the  conducting  of  the  bride 
to  the  bridal  chamber,  Judg.  15 : 1 ;  Joel 
2 :  16,  where  a  canopy  was  prepared.  Ps. 
19 :  5 ;  Joel  2  :  16.  The  bride  was  still  com- 
pletely veiled,  so  that  the  deception 
practiced  on  Jacob,  Gen.  29 :  23,  was  not 
difficult.  A  newly  married  man  was  ex- 
empt from  miUtary  service,  or  from  any 
pubUc  business  which  might  draw  him 
away  from  his  home,  for  the  space  of  a 
year,  Deut.  24  : 5 ;  a  similar  privilege  was 
granted  to  him  who  was  betrothed.  Deut. 
20 : 7. 

The  conditions  of  married  foje.— The  wife 
appears  to  have  taken  her  part  in  family 
atfairs,  and  even  to  have  enjoyed  a  consid- 
erable amount  of  independence.  Judg.  4  : 
18 ;  1  Sam.  25  :  14 ;  2  Kings  4 : 8,  etc.  In  the 
New  Testament  the  mutual  relations  of 
husband  and  wife  are  a  subject  of  frequent 
exhortation.  Eph.  5 :  22,  33  ;  Col.  3  :  18,  19 ; 
Titus  2  :  4,  5 ;  1  Pet.  3  :  1-7.  The  duties  of 
the  wife  in  the  Hebrew  household  were 
multifarious.  Gen.  18  : 6  ;  2  Sam.  13  :  8,  the 
distribution  of  food,  Prov.  31 :  15,  the  man- 
ufacture of  the  clothing,  Prov.  31 :  13,  21, 
22  ;  and  the  legal  rights  of  the  wife  are  no- 
ticed in  Ex.  21 :  10,  under  the  three  heads 
of  food,  raiment,  and  duty  of  marriage  or 
conjugal  right.  Marriage  is  used  to  illus- 
trate the  spiritual  relationship  between 
God  and  his  people.  Isa.  54 : 5 ;  Jer.  3  :  14 ; 
Hos.  2  :  19.  In  the  New  Testament  the 
image  of  the  bridegroom  is  transferred 
from  Jehovah  to  Christ,  Matt.  9  :  15 ;  John 
3  :  29,  and  that  of  the  bride  to  the  church. 
2  Cor.  11:2;  Rev.  19 :  7  :  21 :  2,  9.  For  full 
account,  see  Bissell's  Biblical  Antiquities. 

Mars'  Hill  {mdrz  hill),  or  Areopagus 
{ar'e-op'a-giis  or  d're-dp'a-giis).  Acts  17  :  19, 
34.  This  was  a  rocky  height  in  Athens,  op- 
posite the  western  end  of  the  Acropolis. 
From  this  spot  Paul  delivered  his  address 
to  the  men  of  Athens.  Acts  17  :  22-31.  He 
also  "disputed "  in  the  " market,"  or  agora, 
"daily,"  17:17,  which  was  south  of  the 
Areopagus,  in  the  valley  lying  between 
this  hill  and  those  of  the  AcropoUs,  the 
Pnyx,  and  the  Museum. 

Martha  {mdr'thah),  bitterness.  One  of 
the  family  at  Bethany  whom  Jesus  loved. 
ISIartha  has  been  supposed  the  elder  sister, 
as  the  house  is  called  hers,  and  she  under- 
took the  special  charge  of  entertaining  the 
Lord.  Luke  10  :  38-42.  Some  have  imag- 
ined that  she  was  the  wife  or  widow  of 
Simon  the  leper;  which  would  account 
for  the  place  where  Mary  anointed  Christ 
being  termed  his  house.  Matt.  26  :  6,  7 ; 
Mark  14  :  3 ;  John  12  :  1-3.  Martha  made 
a  noble  confession  when  she  met  the  Sa- 
viour on  his  way  to  raise  her  brother  Laza- 
149 


MARY 


PEOPLE 'S  DICTIONAR  Y 


MEALS 


rus  ;  though  even  her  expectation  reached 
not  to  the  mighty  work  he  was  about  to  do. 
John  11 : 1-46.  Nothing  certain  is  known 
of  her  later  history. 

Mary  {vici'ry).  The  name  of  several  wo- 
men in  the  New  Testament.  1.  The  mother 
of  our  Lord.  She  Avas,  Uke  Joseph,  of  the 
tribe  of  Judah  and  of  the  lineage  of  Da- 
vid. Ps.  132  :  11 ;  Luke  .1  :  32 ;  Rom.  1  :  3. 
She  was  connected  by  marriage,  Luke  1 : 
36,  with  Elisabeth,  who  was  of  the  tribe  of 
Levi  and  of  the  lineage  of  Aaron.  She 
was  betrothed  to  Joseph  of  Nazareth  ;  but 
before  her  marriage  she  became  with  child 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  became  the  mother 
of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world. 
She  was  at  Jerusalem  with  Joseph,  at 
Cana  and  at  Capernaum.  John  2  :  12 ; 
Matt.  4  :  13 :  13 :  54,  55 ;  Mark  6  : 1-4.  Lastly 
she  was  at  the  cross,  and  was  there  com- 
mended to  the  care  of  the  disciple  whom 
Jesus  loved  :  "  Woman,  behold  thy  son." 
And  from  that  hour  John  assures  us  that 
he  took  her  to  his  own  abode.  In  the  days 
succeeding  the  ascension  of  Christ  Mary  met 
with  the  disciples  in  the  upper  room,  Acts 
1 :  14,  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  with  power.  Such  is  all  the  authentic 
history  we  have  of  the  "blessed  among 
women,"  taught,  as  no  other  woman  was, 
the  hard  lessons  which  were  to  guide  her 
to  her  Son's  eternal  kingdom.  Some  of 
them  were  joyful ;  and  some  were  very 
grievous ;  but  she  learned  them  thoroughly, 
till  she  loved  the  Lord  Jesus  as  her  Saviour 
far  more  than  as  her  Son.  2.  The  wife  of 
Cleophas,  was  present  at  the  ci-ucifixion  and 
burial  of  our  Lord,  J\Iatt.  27  :  56,  61,  was 
among  those  who  went  to  embalm  him, 
Mark  16 : 1-10,  was  among  the  earUest  to 
whom  the  news  of  his  resurrection  was  an- 
nounced, Luke  24  : 6, 10,  and  on  her  way  to 
the  disciples  with  the  intelligence  she  met 
her  risen  Lord  and  worshipped  him.  Matt. 
28  : 1,  9.  3.  The  mother  of  John  Mark,  Acts 
12  :  12,  and  aunt  to  Barnabas,  Col.  4  :  10,  a 
godly  woman  residing  at  Jerusalem  at 
whose  house  the  disciples  v.ere  convened 
the  night  Peter  was  miraculously  deliv- 
ered from  prison.  4.  The  sister  of  Lazarus 
and  ISIartha,  and  a  devoted  friend  and  dis- 
ciple of  our  Saviour,  from  whom  she  re- 
ceived the  testimony  that  she  had  chosen 
the  good  part  which  should  not  be  taken 
from  her.  Luke  10  :  41, 42.  Compared  with 
her  sister  she  appears  of  a  more  contem- 
plative turn  of  mind  and  more  occupied 
with  the  "one  thing"  needful.  John  11 : 
1 ;  12  :  2.  5.  INIary  Magdalene,  or  INIary  of 
Magdala.  Luke  8  : 2.  The  general  impres- 
sion that  she  was  an  unchaste  woman  is 
entirely  without  foundation.  Having  been 
cured  of  a  demoniacal  possession  by  our 
Saviour,  she  l^ecame  liis  follower,  Luke  8  : 
2,  3,  and  showed  her  attachment  to  him 
to  the  last.  She  was  at  his  crucifixion, 
John  19 :  25,  and  burial,  Mark  15  :  47,  and 
was  among  those  who  had  prepared  the 
materials  to  embalm  him,  Mark  16:1,  and 
who  first  went  to  the  sepulchre  after  the 
resurrection  :  and  she  was  the  first  to  ^vhom 
the  risen  Redeemer  ai^peared,  Mark  16  :  9, 
and  his  conversation  with  her  has  an  in- 
150 


terest  and  pathos  unsurpassed  in  historj-. 
John  20 :  11-18.  6.  A  Christian  woman  in 
Rome  to  whom  Paul  sends  his  salutation. 
Rom.  16  :  6. 

Matthew  {mdth'thu).  Derived  from  the 
same  word  as  Matthias,  Acts  1 :  23,  26 
{gift  of  God),  apostle,  and  author  of  the 
first  gospel.  His  original  name  was  Levi, 
Mark  2  :  14  ;  Luke  5  :  27,  29,  which,  like  that 
of  Simon  and  of  Saul,  was  changed  on  his 
being  called  to  the  apostleship.  He  first 
appears  in  the  gospels  as  a  publican  or  tax- 
gatherer  near  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  the  last 
mention  of  him  is  in  the  list  of  those  who 
met  in  the  upper  room  at  Jerusalem  after 
the  ascension  of  our  Lord.  Acts  1  :  13. 
The  tradition  of  his  martyrdom  in  Ethi- 
opia is  not  very  trustAA'orthy. 

The  Gospel  accokding  to  Matthew 
w^as  probably  written  in  Palestine,  and  for 
Jewish  Christians.  It  was  probably  first 
composed  in  Hebrew—?,  e.,  Syro-Chaldaic, 
or  Western  Aramaic,  the  dialect  spoken  in 
Palestine  by  the  Jewish  Christians,  and 
then  later  in  Greek,  as  we  now  possess  it. 
The  date  of  its  compo.sition  was  clearly  be- 
fore the  destruction  of  Jenisalem,  Matt. 
24,  and  yet  some  time  after  the  crucifixion 
of  Christ.  Matt.  27  :  7,  8  ;  28  :  15.  Some  of 
the  ancients  give  the  eighth  year  after  the 
ascension  as  the  date,  others  the  fifteenth. 
We  Av'ould  place  it  between  60  and  66  a.  d. 
—a  period  during  which  both  Mark  and 
Luke  probably  wrote  their  gospels. 

Matthias  {muth-thl'as  or  7ncit-thl'as).  A 
discijile  of  Christ,  and  witness  of  his  min- 
istry from  the  commencement,  who  Mas 
appointed  by  lot  to  supjily  the  vacancy  in 
the  company  of  the  twelve  apostles  occa- 
sioned by  the  apostacy  of  Judas.  Acts  1 : 
21-26.  Of  his  after  life  and  ministry  noth- 
ing is  known  with  certainty. 

Mazzaroth  (maz'za'-rdth),  the  tivelve  signs:. 
The  margin  of  the  A.  V.  of  Job  38 :  32  gives 
Mazzaroth  as  the  name  of  the  twelve  signs 
of  the  zodiac. 

Meals.  The  Hebrews  took  a  light  meal 
in  the  forenoon,  consisting  of  bread,  rnilk, 
cheese,  etc.  1  Kings  20 :  16 ;  Ruth  2 :  14 ; 
Luke  14  :  12.  The  dinner  was  at  mid-day 
among  the  ancient  Egyptians.  Gen.  43 : 
16.  Supper,  after  the  labors  of  the  day 
were  over,  appears  to  have  been  the  prin- 
cipal meal  among  the  Hebrews,  as  it  was 
among  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  Mark  6 : 
21 ;  Luke  14  :  16.  24 ;  John  12  : 2.  In  eating, 
knives  and  forks  were  not  used,  but  each 
morsel  of  food  was  conveyed  from  the  dish 
to  the  mouth  by  the  hand.  This  mode  of 
eating  made  it  n'ecessary  to  Avash  the  hands 
before  and  after  meals.  Ruth  2:14;  Prov. 
26:]5;  John  13:26:  Matt.  15:2,20;  Luke 
n  :  38.  In  ancient  times,  at  formal  enter- 
tainments, every  one  seems  to  have  had 
his  separate  portion  of  meat  placed  before 
him,  Gen.  43  :  34 :  1  Sam.  1 : 4,  5 ;  9  :  23,  24 ; 
in  later  times  eveiy  one  helped  himself 
from  the  dish  nearest  to  him.  Matt.  26: 
23.  The  Orientals  do  not  drink  during 
meals,  but  afterwards  water  or  wine  is 
handed  round.  Matt.  26 :  27.  The  Hebrews 
seem  to  have  had  two  modes  of  sitting; 
seldom  used  seats  or  chairs,  like  the  ancient 


MEASURES  AND  WEIGHTS        OF  THE  BIBLE. 


MEAT-OFI'ERING 


Egyptians,  but  they  sat  on  the  floor,  and  the 
meal  was  laid  on  a  cloth  spread  on  the  floor, 
or  on  a  table  raised  only  a  few  inches. 
During  the  captivity  the  Jews  acquired 
the  Persian  practice  of  recUning  at  meals 
upon  couches,  or  upon  mats  or  cusliions, 
around  the  tables,  in  such  a  way  that  the 
head  of  every  person  approached  the 
bosom  of  the  one  who  reclined  next  above 
him.  John  13  :  23  ;  Luke  7  :  38.  In  the 
time  of  Christ  it  was  common  before  every 
meal  to  give  thanks.     Matt.  14  :  19  ;  15  :  36. 

Pleasures  and  Weights.  The  follow- 
ing is  condensed  from  Schaffs  Dictionary  : 
The  Jewish  law  contains  two  precepts  re- 
specting weights  and  measures.  The  first, 
Lev.  19 :  35,  36,  refers  to  the  standards  kept 
in  the  sanctuary,  and  the  second,  Deut.  25 : 
13-15,  to  copies  of  them  kept  by  every 
family  for  its  own  use.  The  standards  of 
the  weights  and  measures  preserved  in  the 
temple  were  destroyed  with  the  sacred  edi- 
lice,  and  afterward  the  measures  and 
weights  of  the  people  among  whom  the 
Jews  dwelt  were  adopted ;  which,  of  course, 
adds  to  the  perplexities  of  the  subject. 

I.  Measures  of  Length.  — Tao.  Hebrews, 
like  all  other  ancient  nations,  took  the 
standard  of  their  measures  of  length  from 
the  human  body.  They  made  use,  how- 
ever, only  of  the  finger,  the  hand,  and  the 
arm,  not  of  the  foot  or  the  pace.  The 
handbreadth  or  palm,  1  Kings  7  :  26,  was 
four  digits,  or  the  breadth  of  the  four  fin- 
gers— from  three  to  three  and  a  half  inches. 
A  span,  Lam.  2  :  20  A.  V.,  but  the  R.  V. 
reads,  "  the  children  that  are  dandled  in 
the  hands,"  which  expresses  the  distance 
across  the  hand  from  the  extremity  of  the 
thumb  to  the  extremity  of  the  little  finger, 
when  they  are  stretched  as  far  apart  as  pos- 
sible, say  nine  to  ten  inches.  A  cubit,  the 
distance  "from  the  elbow  to  the  extremity  of 
the  middle  finger,  or  about  eighteen  inches. 
The  different  expressions  used  in  the  Old 
Testament  about  this  measure— such  as 
"after  the  cubit  of  a  man,"  Deut.  3: 11; 
"  after  the  first  measure,"  2  Chron.  3:3; 
"a  great  cubit,"  Ezek.  41 : 8— show  that  it 
varied.  A  fathom,  Acts  27  :  28,  was  from 
six  to  six  and  a  half  feet.  The  measuring- 
reed,  Ezek.  42  :  16,  comprised  six  cubits,  or 
from  ten  to  eleven  feet,  and  the  measuring- 
line,  Zech.  2  : 1,  a  hundred  and  forty-six 
feet.  The  furlong,  Luke  24  :  13,  was  a 
Greek  measure,  and  nearly  the  same  as  at 
present — viz.,  one-eighth  of  a  mile,  or  forty 
rods.  The  mile,  mentioned  only  once. 
Matt.  5 :  41,  belonged  to  the  Roman  system 
of  measurement,  as  stadium  to  the  Greek. 
The  Roman  mile  was  1612  yards.  The 
Jewish  mile  was  longer  or  shorter,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  longer  or  shorter  pace 
,  in  use  in  the  various  parts  of  the  country. 
The  Sabbath  day's  journey,  Actsl :  12,  was 
about  seven-eighths  of  a  mile,  and  the 
term  denoted  the  distance  which  Jew- 
ish tradition  said  one  might  travel  without 
a  violation  of  the  law.  Ex.  16  :  29.  The 
term,  a  day's  journey.  Num.  11 :  31 ;  Luke 
2  :  44,  probably  indicated  no  certain  dis- 
tance, but  was  taken  to  be  the  ordinary 
distance  which  a  person  in  the  East  trav- 


els on  foot,  or  on  horseback  or  camel,  in 
the  prosecution  of  a  journey — about  20 
miles. 

II.  Measures  of  Capacity.— 1.  Dry.  A  cab 
or  kab  (hollow),  2  Kings  6  :  25,  one-third  of 
an  omer,  or  two  pints.  An  omer  (heap, 
sheaf),  Ex.  16  :  36,  one-tenth  of  an  ephah, 
or  six  pints.  The  seah  (measure).  Gen.  18 : 
6  ;  Matt.  13  :  33 ;  Luke  13  :  21,  one-third  of 
an  ephah,  or  20  pints,  was  the  ordinary 
measure  for  household  purposes.  The 
ephah— a  word  of  Egyptian  origin,  but 
often  occurring  in  the  Old  Testament,  Ex. 
16  :  36 ;  Lev.  5  :  11 ;  Num.  5  :  15 ;  Judg.  6  :  19, 
etc. — ten  omers,  or  three  seahs,  or  60  pints. 
The  homer  (heap),  Isa.  5  :  10,  when  used  for 
dry  measure,  100  omers,  or  600  pints.  The 
Greek  word  translated  "  bushel,"  Matt.  5  : 
15,  is  supposed  by  some  to  answer  to  the 
Hebrew  word  seah.  The  Roman  bushel 
was  very  nearly  the  same  with  the  English 
peck.  2.  Liquid.  Tlie  log  (basin),  Lev.  14  : 
10,  six  egg-shells  full,  one-tenth  of  a  hin, 
or  nearly  one  pint.  The  hin— a  word  of 
Egyptian  origin,  but  often  used  in  the  Old 
Testament,  Ex.  29  :  40 ;  30  :  24  ;  Num.  15 : 4, 
etc.— one-sixth  of  a  bath  or  ten  pints.  The 
bath  (measured),  the  largest  of  the  hquid 
measures,  contained  one-tenth  of  a  homer, 
seven  and  a  half  gallons,  or  60  pints.  1 
Kings  7  :  26  ;  2  Chron.  2 :  10 ;  Isa.  5  :  10.  The 
firkin,  John  2  :  6,  was  a  Greek  measure, 
containing  seven  and  a  half  gallons. 

III.  Weights.— 1\\  the  time  of  Moses  the 
common  weight  was  a  shekel,  which  sig- 
nifies a  "  weight."  There  were  also  the 
parts  of  a  shekel,  as  the  fourth,  third,  and 
half.  The  shekel,  the  maneh,  and  the  tal- 
ent, were  all  originally  names  of  weights. 
When  the  phrase  "  shekel  of  the  sanctu- 
ary "  is  used,  Ex.  30  :  13,  it  means,  not  that 
this  was  different  from  the  common  shekel, 
but  that  it  was  a  true  standard  weight,  ac- 
cording to  the  authorized  standard  pre- 
served in  the  sanctuary,  or,  as  we  should 
say,  a  sealed  weight  or  measure,  to  denote 
that  its  accuracy  is  certified  by  authority. 
To  weigh  substances  the  Jews  had:  the 
shekel,  Amos  8  : 5,  half  an  ounce  avoirdu- 
pois. The  mineh  or  "  maneh,"  A.  V.,  Ezek. 
45 :  12,  100  shekels  or  50  ounces,  equal  to 
three  pounds  two  ounces  avoirdupois.  The 
talent,  2  Sam.  12  :  30,  3000  shekels,  :30  ma- 
neh, 1500  ounces,  equal  to  93  pounds  12 
ounces  avoirdupois.    See  Money. 

Meat,  Meats.  This  word  as  it  occurs 
in  our  version  is  frequently  used  for  food 
in  general,  Lev.  22 :  11,  13,  R.  V.,  "bread ; " 
1  Sam.  20 : 5, 34 ;  2  Sam.  3  :  35,  R.  V.,"  bread," 
and  elsewhere,  or  for  what  is  allowed  to 
be  eaten,  proper  for  sustenance.  Gen.  1 :  29, 
30,  and  9 :  3,  where  the  R.  V.  reads  "  food." 
More  specially,  though  perhaps  sometimes 
indicating,  as  in  our  ordinarv  employment 
of  the  term,  flesh-meat.  Gen.  27  : 4,  7,  :?l ,  it  is 
almost  exclusively  apphed  to  vegetables  or 
vegetable  products.  Thus  a  meat-offering, 
R.  V.  "  meal-oflFering,"  was  a  kind  of  cake 
made  of  flour  and  oil.    Lev.  2. 

Meat-oflfering.    R.  V.  "meal-offering." 

Lev.  2  and  6 :  14-23.    David  gives  its  mean- 

iiig.    1  Chron.  29  :  10-21.      It  was  a  meal- 

oiering.     This   involves    neither   of   the 

151 


MEDEBA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


MELITA 


main  ideas  of  sacrifice— the  atonement  for 
sin  and  self-dedication  to  God.  It  takes 
them  for  granted,  and  is  based  on  them. 
Rather  it  expresses  gratitude  and  love  to 
God  as  the  giver  of  all.  Accordingly  the 
meal-offering,  properly  so  called,  was  in- 
troduced by  the  sin-offering,  which  repre- 
sented the  idea  atonement,  and  to  have 
formed  an  appendage  to  the  burnt-offering, 
which  represented  the  sacrifice.  The  un- 
bloody offerings  offered  alone  did  not  prop- 
erly belong  to  the  regular  meal-offering; 
they  were  usually  substitutes  for  other  of- 
ferings.   Comp.  Lev.  5  :  11 ;  Num.  5  :  15. 

Medeba  (mSd'e-bah),  waters  of  quiet.  A 
city  of  Moab,  first  mentioned  with  Hesh- 
bon  and  Dibon.  Num.  21 :  30.  It  was  after- 
ward taken  by  the  Israelites  and  allotted 
to  the  tribe  of  Reuben,  Josh.  13 :  16 ;  held 
by  the  Ammonites  during  the  reign  of  Da- 
vid, 1  Chron.  19  :  7-15,  it  later  again  re- 
verted to  Moab.  Isa.  15  :  2.  After  the  re- 
turn from  the  captivity  it  was  alternately 
in  the  possession  of  the  Jews  and  of  the 
Gentiles. 

Medes  and  Media  {me'di-ah),  name. 
The  same  as  Madai,  "middle  land,"  one  of 
Japheth's  sons.  Gen.  10  :  2.  The  Hebrew 
word  thus  translated  "Madai"  is  also  ren- 
dered "Medes,"  2  Kings  17  :  G,  etc.,  and 
"  Media,"  Esth.  1 :  3,  etc.,  and  also  "  Mede." 
Dan.  11 : 1.  In  the  period  of  which  He- 
rodotus writes  the  people  of  Media  were 
called  Aryans.  Its  greatest  length  from 
north  to  south  was  550  miles,  its  average 
breadth  250  to  300  miles,  and  its  area  150,- 
000  square  miles.  Media  was  divided  orig- 
inally into  six  provinces,  which  in  Greek 
and  Roman  times  were  reduced  to  two. 
The  early  history  of  the  Medes  is  very  ob- 
scure. Their  origin  is  given  in  Gen.  10  :  2, 
and  they  w^ere  connected  with  the  captivity 
of  Israel.  2  Kings  17  :  6 ;  18  :  11.  Isaiah,  in 
his  prophecy  against  Babylon,  reveals  the 
agency  and  character  of  the  Medes.  Isa. 
13 :  17,  18 ;  21 : 2.  But  Media  was  not  incor- 
porated with  Assyria,  although  Sargon,  and 
afterward  Sennacherib,  subdued  its  people 
and  exacted  tribute.  In  b.  c.  633  an  inde- 
pendent kingdom  was  set  up  by  Cyaxares, 
who  in  B.  c.  625  took  a  leading  part  in  the 
destruction  of  Nineveh.  :Media  then  be- 
came a  great  and  powerful  monarchy, 
comprising,  besides  Media  proper,  Persia, 
Assyria,  Armenia,  and  other  adjoining 
countries.  The  empire  was  1500  miles  long, 
450  miles  wide,  and  had  an  area  of  600,000 
square  miles.  Under  Cyrus  the  two  king- 
doms of  Babylonia  and  Media  were  united, 
B.  c.  538.  There  are  references  in  Scripture 
to  this  kingdom  under  the  title  of  the 
"  Medes  and  Persians."  Dan.  5  :  28 ;  6:8, 
12,  15  ;  comp.  Esth  1 :  19.  The  only  city  in 
Media  alluded  to  in  Scrij)tures  is  Achmetha, 
or  Ecbatana.  Ezra  6  : 2.  This  region  was 
absorbed  in  the  Macedonian  empire  of 
Alexander  the  Great.  Later  an  indepen- 
dent Median  kingdom  held  sway  until  the 
Christian  era,  after  which  it  became  a  part 
of  the  Parthian  empire.  Medes  are  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  Parthians,  etc., 
in  the  New  Testament.    Acts  2  :  9. 

Mediator.  One  who  interposes  between 
152 


two  parties  in  order  to  bring  them  to  agree- 
ment, or  to  a  common  purpose.  Gal.  3  :  20. 
Moses  so  interposed  between  God  and  Is- 
rael. Exod.  20  :  19  ;  Deut.  5:5;  Gal.  3  :  19, 
But  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  medi- 
ator in  the  highest  sense  between  God  and 
man ;  so  that  we  find  this  special  designa- 
tion given  him.  1  Tim.  2:5;  Heb.  8:6;  9  : 
15 ;  12  :  24.    See  Jesus  Chri.st. 

Megiddo  (ine-gjd'do),  place  of  a-owds. 
Josh.  12  :  21.  A  city  of  one  of  the  kings 
whom  Joshua  defeated  on  the  west  of  the 
Jordan,  in  the  great  plain  of  Esdraelon. 
The  song  of  Deborah  notes  the  place  as  the 
scene  of  the  great  conflict  between  Sisera 
and  Barak.  Judg.  4  :  6-17.  When  Pharaoh- 
necho  came  from  Egypt  against  the  king  of 
Assyria,  Josiah  joined  the  latter,  and  was 
slain  at  Megiddo.  2  Kings  23  :  29 ;  2  Chron. 
35 :  22-24.  Megiddo  is  the  modern  el-Lejjun, 
which  is  probably  the  Legio  of  Eusebius 
and  Jerome.  A  stream  flows  down  the 
gorge,  and  joins  the  Kishon.  Here  are 
probably  the  "waters  of  Megiddo"  of 
Judges  5 :  19. 

Melchizedek,  orMelcliisedec  {mel-klz'- 
e-delS),  the  Greek  form  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment {king  of  rigfiteou-'iness),  is  mentioned  in 
Gen.  14  :  18-20  as  king  of  Salem  and  priest 
of  the  Most  High  God,  meeting  Abram 
in  the  valley  of  Shaveh,  bringing  out  bread 
and  wine  to  him,  blessing  him,  and  receiv- 
ing tithes  from  him:  in  Ps.  110  : 4,  where 
Messiah  is  described  as  a  priest  "after  the 
order  of  Melchizedek ;  "  and  finally,  in  Heb. 
5  :  6,  7,  where  the  typical  relations  between 
Melchizedek  and  Christ  are  defined,  both 
being  priests  without  belonging  to  the  Le- 
vitical  tribe,  superior  to  Abram,  of  un- 
known beginning  and  end,  and  kings  of 
righteousness  and  peace.  The  short  but 
impressive  account  of  Melchizedek  in  Gen- 
esis, and  the  striking  though  mystical  ap- 
plications made  in  the  Psalms  and  the  Epis- 
tle to  the  Hebrews,  have  given  rise  to  vari- 
ous interpretations.  One  Jewish  tradition 
considers  him  to  be  a  survivor  of  the  Del- 
uge, the  patriarch  Shem,  and  thus  entitled 
by  his  very  age  to  bless  the  father  of  the 
ftiithful,  and  by  his  position  as  ruler  of 
Canaan  to  confer  his  rights  to  Abram. 
Another  tradition,  equally  old,  but  not  so 
widely  accepted,  considers  him  to  be  an 
angel,'  the  Son  of  God  in  human  form,  the 
Messiah.  ISIodern  scholars,  arguing  back 
from  the  expositions  given  in  the  Epistle  to 
the  Hebrews,  consider  him  to  be  a  descend- 
ant of  Ham,  a  priest  among  the  heathen, 
constituted  by  God  himself,  and  given  a 
title  above  that  of  the  ordinar\-  patriarchal 
priesthood,  even  above  that  of  Abram. 

Melita  (mel'i-tah),  honey,  modern  Malta. 
A  small  island  in  the  Mediterranean  Sea, 
60  miles  south  of  Sicily.  It  is  17  miles  long 
by  9  or  10  broad.  This  island  is  noted  in 
Scripture  as  the  scene  of  the  shipwreck  of 
Paul.  Acts  27.  The  wreck  probably  hap- 
pened at  the  place  known  as  St.  Paul's 
Bay,  an  inlet  with  a  creek  two  miles  deep 
and  one  broad.  Its  chief  officer  (under  the 
Roman  governor  of  Sicily)  appears  from 
inscriptions  to  have  had  the  precise  title 
which  Luke  uses.    Acts  28  : 7. 


MELONS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


MESHA 


Melons.  Num.  11 :  5.  Melons  of  all 
kinds  have  ever  been  largely  cultivated  in 
Egypt,  and  in  summer  often  form  the  chief 
food  and  drink  of  the  lower  classes. 

Meiupliis  {Mem'phis),  in  Hebrew  Noph, 
place  ofPhtah.  An  ancient  royal  city  of  lower 
Egypt.  From  the  ancient  hieroglyphic 
name  Ma-m-Phtah  came  the  Hebrew 
"  Moph,"  Hos.  9  :6,  and  "Noph,"  and  the 
Greek  form  "Memphis."  Isa.  19  :  13  ;  Jer. 
2  :  16 ;  44 : 1 ;  Ezek.  30  :  13, 16.  Memphis  is 
said  to  have  been  about  19  miles  in  circum- 
ference. Its  overthrow  was  distinctly  pre- 
dicted by  the  Hebrew  prophets ;  Isa.  19  :  13 ; 
Jer.  46  :  19 ;  and  it  never  recovered  from  the 
blow  inflicted  upon  it  by  Cambyses,  525  b.c. 
After  the  founding  of  Alexandria,  Memphis 
rapidly  fell  into  decay.  It  is  now  marked 
by  mounds  of  rubbish,  a  colossal  statue 
sunk  deep  in  the  ground,  and  a  few  frag- 
ments of  granite. 

Menalieiii  {mMa-hem),  consoler.  A  king 
of  Samaria.  His  reign,  which  lasted  ten 
years,  b.  c.  771-760,  was  distinguished  for 
cruelty  and  oppression.    2  Kings  15  :  14-20. 

Mene  iine'ne),  Tekel,  Upharsin.  This 
sentence,  which  appeared  on  the  wall  of 
Belshazzar's  banqueting- hall  to  warn  him 
of  the  impending  destruction  of  Babylon, 
is  in  the  Chaldee  language.  Translated  ht- 
erally,  Mene,  "  he  is  numbered  ; "  Mene,  "  he 
is  numbered;"  Tekel,  "he  is  weighed;" 
Upharsin,  "  they  are  divided."  "  Peres,"  in 
the  original  language,  is  the  same  word 
with  "  Upharsin,"  but  in  a  different  case  or 
number.  It  means  "  he  was  divided."  Dan. 
5 :  25. 

Mephiboshetli  {me-phih'o-sMth),  end  of 
shame  or  abasement.  1.  The  son  of  Jonathan 
and  grandson  of  Saul,  2  Sam.  4:4;  also 
called  "Meribbaar'=  contender  against 
Baal.  1  Chron.  8  :  34  ;  9  :  40.  He  was  only 
about  five  years  of  age  when  his  father  was 
slain,  and  on  the  news  of  this  catastrophe 
the  nurse  who  had  charge  of  him,  appre- 
hending that  the  whole  house  of  Saul  would 
be  exterminated,  fled  away  with  him ;  but 
in  her  flight  stumbled  with  the  child,  and 
lamed  him  for  life.  David  made  provision 
for  Mephibosheth  and  his  family.  2  Sam. 
9  :  9-13 ;  16  :  1-4 ;  19  :  24-30.  2.  A  son  of  Saul 
by  his  concubine  Rizpah.    2  Sam.  21 : 8. 

Merab  (me'rab),  increase.  The  eldest 
daughter  of  Saul,  1  Sam.  14 :  49,  promised  to 
David,  but  given  to  Adriel  in  marriage. 
1  Sam.  18  :  17,  19. 

Mercuriiis  {mer-ku'ri-ils),  identical  with 
the  Greek  Hermes  (the  speaker).  One  of  the 
heathen  deities  fabled  to  be  the  son  of  Ju- 
piter and  Maia.  He  was  supposed  to  pre- 
side over  eloquence  and  merchandise,  and 
to  be  the  messenger  of  the  gods.  Barnabas 
and  Paul  were  taken  by  the  people  at  Lys- 
tra  for  Jupiter  and  Mercury.  Acts  14  :  11-13. 
Ovid  has  a  story  of  these  two  deities  wan- 
dering in  the  adjacent  country  of  Phrj'gia. 

Mercy-seat  was  the  name  of  the  hd  or 
cover  of  the  ark  of  the  covenant.  It  was 
made  of  gold,  two  and  a  half  cubits  long 
and  one  and  a  half  cubits  broad,  and  two 
cherubs,  also  of  gold,  were  placed  one  at 
each  end,  stretching  their  wings  to^^'ard 
each  other,  and  forming  a  kin  1  of  tlirone, 


upon  which  God  was  believed  to  be  present 
in  a  peculiar  manner  to  hear  and  answer 
prayer,  and  to  make  known  his  holy  will. 
Ex.  25 :  17-22 ;  30  : 6 ;  31 :  7  ;  37  : 6-9  ;  1  Chron. 
28  :  11 ;  2  Chron.  5  :  7,  8 ;  Ps.  80 : 1 ;  99  :  1. 
Before  and  upon  the  mercy-seat  the  high 
priest  sprinkled  the  blood  of  the  sin- 
offerings  on  the  day  of  atonement  as  a  pro- 
pitiation, Lev.  16  :  11-16,  which,  under  the 
new  dispensation,  received  its  fulfillment. 
Heb.  9:5;  Rom.  3  :  25. 

Meribali  (mer'i-bah),  quarrel,  strife.  1. 
The  fountain  near  Rephidim  which  Moses 
smote  by  the  divine  command  ;  also  called 
"Massah"  ("temptation,  trial").  Ex.  17: 
1-7 ;  Deut.  6  :  16 ;  9  :  22.  2.  Another  fountain, 
produced  in  the  same  manner  and  under 
similar  circumstances  as  the  preceding,  near 
Kadesh,  in  the  desert  of  Zin  :  also  called 
waters  of  Meribah  and  Meribah  Kadesh. 
Deut.  33  : 8 ;  Ps.  95  : 8  ;  106  :  32.  This  miracle 
occurred  near  the  close  of  the  wanderings 
of  the  Hebrews  in  the  desert.  Num.  20  : 1- 
24 ;  27  :  14  ;  Deut.  32  :  51 ;  Ps.  81 :  7  :  Ezek.  47  : 
19.  Some  erroneously  regard  the  two  as 
identical,  but  this  view  is  inconsistent  with 
the  scriptural  narrative.    See  Kadesh. 

Merodacli  {me-ru'dak,  or  mer'o-dak), 
death,  Jer.  50 :  2,  identical  with  the  Babylo- 
nian Bel  or  Belus,  the  tenn  being  probably 
at  first  a  mere  epithet  of  the  god. 

M  e  r  o  d  a  c  h-baladan  {me-ro'dak-bdl'a- 
ddn),  loorshipper  of  Baal.  King  of  Babylon. 
2  Kings  20 :  12  ;  Isa.  39  : 1.  In  the  former  pas- 
sage he  is  called  Berodach-baladan.  The 
name  Merodach-baladan  has  been  found  in 
the  Assyrian  inscriptions.  It  appears  there 
were  two  reigns  of  this  king,  the  first  from 
B.  c.  721  to  B.  c.  709,  when  he  was  deposed  ; 
and  the  second  after  his  recovery  of  the 
throne  in  b.  c.  702,  which  lasted  only  half  a 
year.  He  sent  ambassadors  to  Hezekiah,  2 
Chron.  32  :31,  about  b.  c.  713. 

Merom,  Waters  of  {me'rom),  waters  of 
the  high  place.  A  lake  in  northern  Pales- 
tine, where  Joshua  won  a  victory.  Josh. 
11 :  5,  7.  It  is  usually  identified  with  the 
modern  el-Huleh  of  the  Arabs.  Lake  .Hu- 
leh  is  eleven  miles  north  of  the  Sea  of  Gal- 
ilee. 

Meroz  (me'rdz),  refuge.  A  place  in  the 
northern  part  of  Palestine,  the  inhabitants 
of  which  were  accursed  for  not  having 
taken  the  field  with  Barak  against  Sisera. 
Judg.  5  :  23. 

MesecU  (me'sek),  Ps.  120  :  5,  or  Meshecli 
{me'shek),  Ezek.  32  :  26,  a  son  of  Japheth, 
whose  descendants  are  supposed  to  have 
settled  in  Armenia.  They  had  consider- 
able commerce  with  Tyre.  Ezek.  27  :  13. 
Some  suppose  the  Muscovites  were  of  this 
race. 

Mesha  {me' shah),  deliverance.  1.  A  king 
of  Moab  who  refused  to  pay  tribute  to  Je- 
horam,  king  of  Israel.  Jehoram  determined 
to  punish  him  ;  but  Mesha  made  the  hor- 
rible sacrifice  of  his  eldest  son  to  some  idol 
god,  openly  upon  the  wall,  in  sight  of  the 
IsraeUtes,  who  fearing  that  they  might 
incur  the  anger  of  God  by  having  given 
occasion  to  a  human  sacrifice,  retreated 
to  their  own  country.  2  Kings  3  :  4-27.  A 
most  wonderful  corroboration  of  the  Scrip- 
153 


MESOPOTAMIA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


MICHAEL 


ture  history  is  found  in  the  famous  Moab- 
ite  stone.  See  Moab.  2.  A  son  of  Caleb, 
and  brother  of  Mareshah.  1  Chron.  2  :  42. 
3.  A  Benjamite,  son  of  Shaharaim.  1  Chron. 
8:9. 

Mesopotamia  {mSs-o-po-id'mi-ah),  the 
region  between  the  rivers.  The  name  given 
by  tlae  Greeks  and  Romans  to  that  tract  of 
fertile  country  lying  between  the  rivers 
Euphrates  and  Tigris.  Acts  2  : 9  ;  7  : 2.  It 
was  called  by  the  Hebrews  Aram-naharaim, 
or  "Aram  (or  Svria)  of  the  two  rivers  : "  Gen. 
24  :  10  ;  Deut.  23 : 4 ;  Judg.  3  :  8, 10  ;  1  Chron. 
19  :  6  ;  and  Padan-aram  or  "  Plain  of  Syria," 
Gen.  25 :  20 ;  28  : 2-7  ;  46  :  15 ;  also  Aram  or 
"  Syria,"  Isum.  23  :  7  ;  Gen.  31  :  20,  24.  The 
great  plains  of  Mesopotamia  possess  a 
nearly  uniform,  level,  good  soil,  but  barren 
from  want  of  irrigation,  ilesopotamia  A\as 
the  country  of  Nahor,  K.  V.,  "city  of  Na- 
hor."  Gen.  24  :  10.  Here  lived  "Bethuel 
and  Laban,  and  hither  Abraham  sent  his 
servant  to  fetch  Isaac  a  wife.  .  Gen.  5 :  38. 
A  century  later  Jacob  came  on  the  same 
errand,  and  hence  he  returned  with  his 
t\\'o  wi^•es  after  an  absence  of  21  years. 
Mesopotamia  again  occurs  at  the  close  of 
the  wanderings  in  the  wilderness.  Deut. 
23  : 4.  About  a  half  century  later,  Mesopo- 
tamia appears  as  the  seat  of  a  powerful 
monarchy.  Judg.  3.  The  children  of  Am- 
nion, having  provoked  a  war  with  David, 
"sent  a  thousand  talents  of  silver  to  hire 
them  chariots  and  horsemen  out  of  Meso- 
potamia, and  out  of  Syria-maachah,  and 
out  of  Zobah."  1  Chron.  19  :  6.  Assyrian 
inscriptions  and  the  Scripture  record  show 
that  Mesopotamia  w-as  inhabited  in  the 
early  times  of  the  empire,  B.  c.  1200- 
1100,  by  a  vast  number  of  petty  tribes,  each 
under  "its  own  prince,  and  all  quite  hide- 
pendent  of  each  other,  Judg.  3  :  8-10 ;  2 
Kings  19  :  12, 13  ;  Isa.  37  :  12,  until  subjugated 
by  the  kings  of  Assyria.  Mesopotamia  be- 
came an  Assyrian  province.  The  conquests 
of  Cyrus  brought  it  wholly  under  the  Per- 
sian yoke,  and  thus  it  continued  to  the 
time  of  Alexander.  The  whole  region  is 
studded  with  mounds  and  ruins  of  Assyr- 
ian and  Babylonian  greatness.  See  As- 
syria. 

Messiah  (ines-si'ah).  This  is  a  Hebrew 
word  signifying  "anointed,"  and  corre- 
sponding exactly  to  the  Greek  Christos.  As 
in  ancient  time's  not  only  the  king,  but 
also  the  priest  and  the  prophet,  was  conse- 
crated to  his  calling  by  being  anointed, 
the  word  "Messiah"  often  occurs  in  the 
Old  Testament  in  its  literal  sense,  signify- 
ing one  who  has  been  anointed,  1  Sam.  24  : 

6  ;  Lam.  4  :  20 ;  Ezek.  28 :  14 ;  Ps.  105  :  15 ; 
but  generally  it  has  a  more  specific  appli- 
cation, signifying  the  One  who  was  an- 
ointed, the  supreme  Deliverer  who  was 
promised  from  the  beginning.  Gen.  3  :  15, 
and  about  whom  a  long  series  of  prophe- 
cies runs  through  the  whole  histo^  of  Is- 
rael from  Abram,  Gen.  12  :  3 ;  22 :  18  ;  Ja- 
cob, Gen.  49  :  10  ;  Balaam,  Num.  24  :  17 ; 
Moses,  Deut.  18  :  15,  18  ;  and  Nathan.  2  Sam. 

7  :  16 ;  through  the  psalmists  and  prophets, 
Ps.  2  •,  16 ;  22  ;  40 ;  45  ;  110  ;  Isa.  7  :  10-16 ;  9  : 
1-7  ;  11 ;  13 ;  53 ;  61  ;  Jer.  23  :  5,  6  ;  Micah  5  • 

154 


2 ;  Mai.  3 : 1-4,  to  his  immediate  precursor, 
John  the  Baptist.  The  character  of  these 
prophecies  is  ver>-  definite.  The  lineage 
from  which  Messiah  should  descend  was 
foretold.  Gen.  49  :  10 ;  Isa.  11 : 1,  the  place 
in  which  he  should  be  born,  Micah  5  : 2,  the 
time  of  his  appearance,  Dan.  9  :  20, 25  ;  Hag. 
2:7;  Mai.  3  :  1,  etc.  Nevertheless,  in  the 
vanity  of  their  hearts,  the  Jews  mistook 
the  true  meaning  of  these  prophecies. 
They  expected  a  triumphant  worldly  king, 
according  to  Ps.  2  ;  Jer.  23  : 5,  6 ;  Zech.  9  : 
9,  and  that  his  triumph  was  to  be  accom- 
plished by  sufferings  and  death  they  did 
not  understand.    See  Jesus  Christ. 

Methuselah  {me-thu'se-lah),  man  of  dart, 
or  he  dies  and  it  is  sent— namely,  the  flood. 
The  son  of  Enoch,  and,  according  to  He- 
brew chronology,  969  years  old  when  he 
died,  in  the  first  year  of  the  flood.  The 
longest-lived  man  was  the  son  of  the  saint- 
liest  of  his  time.  Gen.  5 :  27  :  1  Chron.  1  : 
3.  He  lived  243  years  with  Adam  and  600 
years  with  Noah.  The  historj-  of  the  fall 
and  of  the  world  before  the  flood  was  car- 
ried thus  through  only  one  person  to  Noah. 

]\Iicah  {nn'kah),  icho  is  like  Jehovah  ?  1. 
An  idolater  in  Mount  Ephraim.  Judg.  17  ; 
18.  2.  The  sixth  of  the  minor  prophets,  is 
called  the  Morashite,  from  his  birthplace 
Moresheh,  in  the  territory  of  Gath,  west- 
ward from  Jerusalem.  He  prophesied  dur- 
ing the  reigns  of  Jotham,  Ahaz,  and  Heze- 
kiah,  kings  of  Judah,  b.  c.  750-698,  and  was 
a  contemporary  of  Isaiah,  whom  he  often 
resembles  in  style  and  expressions.  Com- 
pare, for  instance,  Isa.  2  : 2  with  Micah  4  : 1, 
or  Isa.  41 :  15  with  Micah  4 :  13. 

The  Book  of  Micah  contains  prophe- 
cies concerning  Samaria  and  Jerusalem. 
In  his  prophecies  concerning  Messiah  he 
is  very  precise.  The  prediction  that  Christ 
should  be  born  in  Bethlehem  belongs  to 
him.  5  :  2.  His  style  is  poetic  throughout, 
pure,  rich  in  images  and  plays  ujion  words, 
bold  and  lofty,  but  sometimes  abrupt  and 
obscure.  There  are  seven  persons  of  this 
name  mentioned  in  the  Bible. 

Micaiah  (mi-kd'yah).  The  son  of  Imlah. 
A  faithful  prophet  who  predicted  in  vain 
to  Ahab  the  fatal  termination  of  his  expe- 
dition against  Ramoth-gilead.  1  Kings  22 : 
8-28  ;  2  Chron.  18  :  7-27.  He  delivered  his 
warning  in  the  form  of  a  remarkable  vis- 
ion, in  which  the  weighty  lesson  is  con- 
veyed that  God  blinds  judicially  those  who 
have  shut  their  eyes  and  ears  to  his  moni- 
tions, letting  them  be  deceived  by  lying 
spirits. 

Michael  {ml'ka-el  or  ml'kel),  who  as  God  f 
1.  A  chief  angel,  who  is  represented  as  the 
patron  of  the  Hebrews  before  God.  Dan. 
12:1.  In  Jude  9  ISIichael  is  represented  "  as 
contending  with  Satan  about  the  body  of 
Moses."  So  again  in  Rev.  12 :  5,  7,  9,  the 
symbohc  scenery-  which  represents  the  ma- 
lignity of  Satan  towards  the  "  man-child  "= 
Christianity— the  child  of  Judaism,  caught 
up  to  the  throne  of  God,  i.  e.,  placed  under 
the  divine  protection,  and  invested  with 
sovereign  power — Michael  and  his  angels 
are  represented  as  waging  war  with  Satan 
and  his  angels  in  the  upper  regions ;  from 


MICHAL 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


MILLO 


^vhich  the  latter  are  cast  down  upon  the 
earth.  There  are  ten  persons  of  this  name 
mentioned  in  the  Bible. 

jMiclial  {mVkal).  The  second  daughter 
of  Saul,  1  Sam.  14  :  49,  and  the  wife  of  Da- 
vid. During  David's  exile  she  was  married 
to  another,  Phalti,  or  Palti,  1  Sam.  25  :  44  ;  2 
Sam.  3 :  15,  with  whom  she  lived  for  ten 
years.  After  the  accession  of  David  to  the 
throne  slie  was  restored  to  liim,  2  Sam.  3  : 
13, 14 ;  but  an  estrangement  soon  took  place 
between  them,  and  on  the  occasion  of  one 
of  the  greatest  triumphs  of  Da\'id's  life— 
the  bringing  up  of  the  ark  to  Jerusalem- 
it  came  to  an  open  rupture  between  tliem, 
after  which  her  name  does  not  again  occur. 
2  Sam.  6  :  23.     . 

31  i  c li  m  a  s  {mlk'mas),  or  M i  c  li  m  a  s  h 
(mlk')iKish),  something  hidden.  A  town  of 
Benjamin  noted  in  the  Philistine  war  of 
Saul  and  Jonathan.  1  Sam.  13  :  11.  Isaiah 
refers  to  it  in  connection  with  the  invasion 
of  Sennacherib  in  the  reign  of  Hezekiah. 
Isa.  10  :  28.  After  the  captivity  it  was  repeo- 
pled.  Ezra  2  :  27  ;  Neh.  7  :  31.  Later  it  be- 
came the  residence  of  Jonathan  Macca- 
bseus  and  the  seat  of  his  government.  1 
Mace.  9  :  73.  Michmash  is  identified  with 
the  modem  village  of  Mukmas,  about  five 
miles  north  of  Jerusalem,  where  are  con- 
siderable ruins  of  columns,  cisterns,  etc. 
In  plain  view,  about  a  mile  away,  is  the 
ancient  Geba  or  Gibeah,  where  Saul  was 
encamped.    1  Sam.  13  :  16. 

Midiaii  (nud'i-an),  litrife.  The  territory 
of  Midian  extended,  according  to  some 
scholars,  from  the  Elanitic  Gulf  to  Moab 
and  Mount  Sinai ;  or,  according  to  others, 
from  the  Sinaitic  peninsula  to  tlie  desert 
and  the  banks  of  the  Euphrates.  The  peo- 
ple traded  with  Palestine,  Lebanon,  and 
Egypt.  Gen.  37  :  28.  Joseph  was  prol^ably 
bought  by  them,  perhaps  in  company  with 
Ishmaehtes.  See  Gen.  37  :  25,  27,  28,  36, 
and  Gen.  25  :  2,  4,  12, 16.  Moses  dwelt  in 
:Midian.  Ex.  2  :  15-21 ;  Num.  10  :29.  Mid- 
ian joined  Moab  against  Israel  and  enticed 
that  nation  into  sin,  for  which  it  was  de- 
stroyed. Num.  chaps.  22,  24.  25.  Later, 
Midian  recovered,  became  a  powerful  na- 
tion, and  oppressed  the  Hebrews,  but  were 
miraculously  defeated  by  Gideon.  Judg. 
6 ;  7 ;  8  : 1-28 ;  Ps.  83  : 9, 11  ;  Isa.  9:4;  Hab. 
3  :  7.  The  Midianites  henceforward  be- 
came gradually  incorporated  witli  the 
neighboring  Moabites  and  Arabians.  In 
the  region  east  of  Edom  and  Moab  are 
many  ancient  ruins,  and  portions  of  the 
territory  are  of  great  fertility,  producing 
bountiful  crops  for  the  modern  Arabs— the 
tribe  of  Beni  Sakk'r.  which  bears  consid- 
erable resemblance  in  race,  character,  and 
habits  to  what  is  known  of  the  ancient 
Midianites.  "Curtains  of  Midian,"  Hab. 
3  :  7.  is  a  figurative  expression  denoting  the 
borders  or  inhabitants  of  ilidian. 

Migdol  hnig'dol),  tower.  1.  A  place  near 
the  head  of  the  Red  Sea.  Ex.  14  :  2 ;  Num. 
33  : 7,8.  2.  A  fortified  city  in  the  northern 
limits  of  Egypt  toward  Palestine.  Jer.  44 : 1 ; 
46  :  14.  This  name  is  rendered  "  tower  "  in 
the  phrase  "  from  the  tower  of  Svene,"  R.  V. 
reads  "Sevench,"  Ezek.  29:10*;  30:6;  but 


the  margin  correctly  has  "  from  ISIigdol  to 
Syene"— 1  e.,  Syene  the  most  southern 
border  of  Egypt,  and  Migdol  the  most 
northern. 

IVIigvou  {m-u/ron),j)recipice.  A  place  near 
Gibeah.  1  Sam.  14  : 2.  Migron  is  also  men- 
tioned in  Sennacherib's  approach  to  Je- 
rusalem. Isa.  10  :  28.  It  was  near  Mich- 
masli. 

]\Iile,  the  Roman,  equal  to  1G18  EngUsh 
yards— 4854  feet,  or  about  nine-tenths  of  an 
English  mile.  It  is  only  once  noticed  in 
the  Bible.    Matt.  5 :  41. 

aiUetus  (mUe-'tus),  Acts  20:15,  17,  less 
correctly  called  Miletum  in  2  Tim.  4  :  20, 
A.V.  It  was  on  the  coast,  ;36  miles  to  the  south 
of  Ephesus.  Acts  20 :  15.  The  site  of  Mletus 
lias  now  receded  ten  miles  from  the  coast, 
and  even  in  the  apostles'  time  it  must  have 
lost  its  strictly  maritime  position.  Miletus 
was  far  more  famous  500  vears  before 
Paul's  day  than  it  ever  became  afterward. 
Now  the  small  Turkish  village  Jlelas  is  near 
the  site  of  the  ancient  city. 

Mill.  Matt.  24  :  41.  The  Jewish  hand- 
mill  consisted  of  two  circular  stones,  each 
about  18  inches  or  two  feet  in  diameter,  the 
lower  of  wliich  is  fixed,  and  has  its  upper 
surface  slightly  convex,  fitting  into  a  cor- 
responding concavity  in  the  upper  stone. 
In  the  latter  is  a  hole  through  which  the 
grain  passes,  immediately  above  a  pivot  or 
shaft  which  rises  from  the  centre  of  the 
lower  stone,  and  about  Avhich  the  upper 
stone  is  turned  by  means  of  an  upright  han- 
dle fixed  near  the  edge.  It  is  worked  by 
women,  sometimes  singly  and  sometimes 
two  together,  who  are  usually  seated  on 
the  bare  ground,  Isa.  47  : 1,  2,  facing  each 
other;  both  have  hold  of  the  handle  by 
wliich  the  upper  is  turned  round  on  the 
"  nether  "  millstone.  The  one  whose  right 
hand  is  disengaged  throws  in  the  grain  as 
occasion  requires  through  the  hole  in  the 
upper  stone.  It  is  not  correct  to  say  that 
one  pushes  it  half  round  and  then  the  other 
seizes  the  handle.  This  would  be  slow  work, 
and  would  give  a  spasmodic  motion  to  the 
stone.  Both  retain  their  hold  ;  and  pull  to 
or  push  from,  as  men  do  with  the  whip  or 
cross-cut  saw.  The  proverb  of  our  Saviour, 
Matt.  24  :  41,  is  trae  to  life,  for  ivomen  onlv 
grind.  So  essential  were  millstones  for 
daily  domestic  use  that  tliey  were  forbidden 
to  be  taken  in  pledge.  Deut.  24  : 6.  There 
were  also  larger  mills  driven  bv  cattle  or 
asses.  Matt.  18 : 6.  With  the  movable  upper 
millstone  of  the  hand-mill  the  woman  of 
Thebez  broke  Abimelech's  skull.  Judg. 
9 :  53. 

Millet,  the  grain  of  the  cultivated  panic- 
grass  {Panicum  miliaceum).  or  of  du-rah  (va- 
riously spelled,  but  thus  pronounced).  Ezek. 
4  : 9.  Durah  or  Egyptian  corn  {Sorghum  vul- 
gcire)  resembles  maize  in  size  and  general 
appearance,  and  is  largely  cultivated  upon 
the  Nile. 

Millo  (mirio),  a  mound,  rampart.  "Millo" 
is  used  for  a  part  of  the  citadel  of  Jerusa- 
lem, probably  the  rampart,  or  entrench- 
ment. 2  Sam.  5:9;  1  Kings  9 :  15-24 ;  11 : 
27 ;  1  Chron.  11  :  8.  The  same,  or  part  of  it, 
was  probably  the  "  house  of  Millo ; "  margin 


MINT 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


MIZPAH 


"  Beth  Millo."  2  Kings  12  :  20 ;  2  Chron.  32  : 
5.  Some  think  it  means  the  "  stronghold  of 
Zion." 

Mint.  Matt.  23  :  23 ;  Luke  11 :  42.  A  well- 
known  herb,  much  used  in  domestic  econ- 
omy. The  Jews  are  said  to  have  scattered 
it,  on  account  of  its  pleasant  smell,  on  the 
floors  of  their  houses  and  synagogues.  The 
species  most  common  in  Syria  is  the  Mentha 
sylvestris,  horse-mint. 

Miracle,  in  the  A.  V.,  represents  three 
Greek  words :  1.  Scmeion,  sign,  by  which  a 
divine  power  is  made  known  and  a  divine 
messenger  attested.  Matt.  12 :  38,  39 ;  1(3 : 1, 
6;  Mark8:ll;  Luke  11: 16;  23:8;  John  2  : 
11,  18,  23,  etc.  ;  Acts  6  :  8 ;  1  Cor.  1 :  22.  2. 
Teras,  wonder  or  portent,  with  regard  t(i 
their  astounding  character.  John  4  :  48  ; 
Acts  2 :  22,  43 ;  7  :  36 ;  Rom.  15  :  19 ;  usually 
in  connection  with  "signs."  3.  Dunamia, 
power  or  powers,  mighty  deeds,  with  ref- 
erence to  their  effect.  Matt.  7  :  22  ;  11 :  20, 
21,  23 ;  Luke  10 :  13 ;  Rom.  15  :  19.  A  mira- 
cle is  not,  philosophically  speaking,  a  vio- 
lation of  the  ordinary  laws  of  nature,  nf)r 
does  it  necessarily  require  a  suspension  of 
those  laws,  as  some  liave  imagined  ;  but  is 
either  a  manifestation  of  divine  power,  su- 
perior to  natural  causes,  or  an  increase  of 
the  action  of  some  existing  law,  accora- 
phshing  a  new  result.  Such  were  the  mira- 
cles which  God  wrought  by  the  prophets; 
and  those  wrought  by  Christ  and  by  the 
apostles  and  disciples  in  his  name.  Though 
miracles  are  supernatural  facts,  in  one 
sense  they  are  also  natural  facts.  They 
belong  to  a  superior  order  of  things,  to  a 
superior  world ;  and  they  are  perfectly 
conformed  with  the  supreme  law  which 
governs  them.  They  belong  to  the  vast 
plan  of  Jehovah,  which  contains  at  once 
both  the  natural  course  of  events  and  these 
supernatural  manifestations.  And  when, 
on  remarkable  occasions,  his  plans  and  pur- 
pK)ses  have  required  preternatural  interpo- 
sition of  his  power,  it  has  always  been  ex- 
erted :  but,  with  the  unusual  occasion,  the 
unusual  agency  has  ceased,  and  the  ex- 
traordinarj'  result  has  no  longer  occurred. 
Such  interferences  are  not  required  in  the 
estabUshed  course  and  usual  sequences  of 
nature.  The  miracles  of  Christ  as  reported 
in  the  gospels  present  many  noticeable  fea- 
tures. They  were  numerous ;  a  multitude 
more  having  been  performed  than  are  de- 
scribed in  detail.  John  20  :  30  ;  21  :  25. 
They  exhibit  great  variety  they  were 
wrought  almost  always  instantaneously, 
by  a  word  of  power,  Avithout  the  use  of 
auxiUary  means,  sometimes  taking  their 
effect  at  a  distance  from  the  place  in  which 
Christ  personally  was.  They  were  perma- 
nent in  their  results,  were  subjected  at  the 
time  to  keen  investigation,  and  convinced 
a  hostile  people  of  the  truth  of  them,  to 
such  an  extent  that,  though  there  were 
persons  who  concealed  or  resisted  their 
convictions,  very  many  in  consequence  at- 
tached themselves,  to  the  great  detriment 
of  their  worldly  interests,  in  several  cases 
with  the  sacrifice  of  their  lives,  to  the  per- 
son and  doctrine  of  this  extraordinary 
Teacher,  They  were  miracles,  too,  of 
156 


mercy,  intended  to  relieve  human  suffer- 
ing, and  to  promote  the  well-being  of  those 
on  whom  or  for  whom  they  were  wrought. 
And  the  power  of  working  miracles  was 
conveyed  by  our  Lord  to  his  followers,  was 
repeatedly  exercised  by  them,  and  was 
continued  for  a  while  in  the  church.  Acts 
19  :  11 ;  1  Cor.  12 :  10,  28,  29.  For  hst  of 
miracles  in  the  Bible,  see  Appendix. 

Miriam  {mlr'i-am),  rebellion.  1.  The 
daughter  of  Amram,  and  the  sister  of  Mo- 
ses and  Aaron,  1  Chron.  6  :  3,  appointed  to 
watch  the  ark  of  bulrushes  in  which  her 
infant  brother  was  laid  among  the  flags  of 
the  river.  She  was  there  when  Pharaoh's 
daughter  came  down  and  discovered  it, 
and  proposed  to  go  for  a  nurse.  She  im- 
mediately called  her  mother  as  the  nurse, 
and  the  infant  was  placed  under  her  care. 
Ex.  2  : 4-10.  After  the  passage  of  the  Red 
Sea,  she  led  the  choir  of  the  women  of 
Israel  in  the  sublime  song  of  deliverance, 
Ex.  15  :  20,  but  afterward,  having  joined 
Aaron  in  murmuring  against  IVIoses,  she 
was  smitten  with  leprosy,  and  restored  only 
in  answer  to  the  prayers  of  Moses.  Num. 
12  : 1-15.  She  died  and  was  buried  at  Ka- 
desh.  Num.  20  : 1.  2.  A  descendant  of  Ju- 
dah.    1  Chron.  4:17. 

Mite.  A  coin  of  Palestine  in  the  time 
of  our  Lord.  Mark  12  :  41^4 ;  Luke  21 : 1-4. 
It  was  the  smallest  piece  of  money  and 
worth  about  one-fifth  of  a  cent— two  mites 
making  a  farthing.    See  Farthing. 

Mitre.  The  head-dress  of  the  Jewish 
priest.  It  was  of  fine  flax  or  linen,  made 
with  many  folds,  making  in  length  eight 
yards,  and  wreathed  round  the  head  in  the 
shape  of  an  Eastern  turban.  It  bore  upon 
its  front  a  gold  plate,  on  which  was  in- 
scribed:  "Holiness  to  the  Lord."  Ex.  28: 
4,  37,39;  29:6;  39:28,30;  Lev.  8:9;  16:4. 
Mitylene  (mU-y-le'ne),  hornless.  The  chief 
town  and  capital  of  the  isle  of  Lesbos. 
Acts  20 :  14,  15.  In  Paul's  day  it  had  the 
privileges  of  a  free  city. 

Mizpali  {mlz'pah)  and  Mizpeh  (miz'peh), 
ivatch-tower.  The  name  of  several  pjlaces 
in  Palestine.  1.  On  Mount  Gilead,  also 
called  Mizpeh  of  Gilead,  Judg.  11 :  29,  and 
elsewhere,  probably  Ramoth-mizpeh,  Josh. 
13 :  26,  and  Ramoth-gilead,  1  Kings  4  :  13, 
and  elsewhere,  the  place  where  Laban  and 
Jacob  set  up  a  heap  of  stones  as  a  witness 
and  landmark  between  them.  Gen.  31 :  23, 
25,  48,  52.  Here,  also,  the  Israehtes  assem- 
bled to  fight  against  the  Ammonites,  Judg. 
10 :  17 ;  and  here  Jephthah  was  met  by  his 
daughter.  Judg.  11  :  29.  Some  suppose 
that  this  was  the  place  also  where  tlie 
tribes  assembled  to  avenge  the  great  sin 
committed  in  Benjamin,  Judg.  20  : 1,  3 ;  21 : 
1, 5,  8 ;  but  this  is  more  usually  appUed  to 
the  Mizpah  in  Benjamin.  See  No.  6.  This 
Mizpah  has  been  identified,  with  great 
probabihty,  with  Kulat  er  Rubad  on  the 
Wady  'Ajl'un,  about  ten  miles  east  of  the 
Jordan.  The  summit  commands  a  ■v\ide 
view,  and  is  in  harmony  with  the  name 
Mizpeh,  or  "watch-tower."  2.  Mizpeh  of 
Moab,  where  the  king  of  that  nation  was 
living  when  David  committed  his  parents 
to  his  care,  1  Sam.  22  :  3 ;  possibly  now  Ke- 


MIZRAIM 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


MONEY 


rak.  3.  The  land  of  Mizpeh,  in  the  north 
of  Palestine,  the  residence  of  the  Hivites, 
Josh.  11 : 3  ;  possibly  identical  with — 1.  The 
valley  of  Mizpeh,  Josh.  11  :  3,  8,  whither 
the  confederate  hosts  were  pursued  by 
Joshua;  perhaps  the  modern  Buka'a,  the 
great  country  of  Coele-Syria,  between  Leb- 
anon and  Anti-Lebanon.  5.  A  city  in  Ju- 
dah,  Josh.  15 :  38 ;  possibly  identical  \vith 
the  modern  Tell  es-Safiyeh.  This  others 
have  identified  with  Misrephothmaim. 
Josh.  11 :  8.  6.  A  city  in  Benjamin,  Josh. 
18 :  26,  where  Israel  assembled.  1  Sam.  7  : 
5-7, 11, 12, 16.  Here  Saul  was  elected  king.  1 
Sam.  10  :  17-21.  Asa  fortified  Mizpah,l  Kings 
15  :  22 ;  2  Chron.  16  :  6 ,  it  was  where  Ge- 
daliah  was  assassinated,  2  Kings  25 :  23,  25 ; 
Jer.  40  : 6-15 ;  41  : 1-16 ;  the  men  of  Mizpah 
joined  in  rebuilding  a  par  of  the  wall  of 
Jerusalem.  Neh.  3  ;  7, 15, 19.  Probably  iden- 
tical with  Neby  Samwil,  standing  on  a 
peak  about  four  miles  northwest  of  Jerusa- 
lem. Whether  the  Mizpah  of  Hosea,  5  : 1, 
was  in  Benjamin  or  in  Gilead  is  uncer- 
tain. 

Mizraim  (mAz'rd-tm  or  miz-rd'im),  limits, 
borders.  The  name  by  which  the  Hebrews 
generally  designated  Egypt,  apparently 
from  Mizraim,  the  son  of  Ham.  Gen.  lu': 
6,  13.  Called  in  English  versions  Egvpt. 
Gen.  45  :  20  ;  46  :  34 ;  47  :  6,  13.  Sometimes  it 
seems  to  be  employed  to  designate  lower 
Egvpt,  to  the  exclusion  of  Pathros  or  upper 
Egypt.   Isa.  11:11,  Jer.  44  :  15.  See  Egypt. 

Moab  (im'ab),  from  the  father.  The  son 
of  Lot  and  his  eldest  daughter,  and  founder 
of  the  Moabite  people.  Gen.  19  :  30-38. 
Moab  is  also  used  for  the  Moabites ;  and 
also  for  their  territory.  Num.  22  :  3-14 ; 
Judg.  3  :  30 ;  2  Sam.  8  : 2 ;  2  Kings  1:1;  Jer. 
48:4. 

The  territory  of  the  Moabites,  originally 
inhabited  by  the  Emims,  Deut.  2  :  10,  lay 
on  the  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Jor- 
dan, strictly  on  the  highlands  south  of  the 
Anion;  Num.  21:13;  Ruth  1:1,  2;  2:6; 
but  in  a  wider  sense  it  included  also  the 
region  anciently  occupied  by  the  Amorites 
over  against  Jericho,  usually  called  the 
"  Plains  of  Moab."  Num.  21 :  13 ;  22  : 1 ;  26 : 
3 ;  33 :  48  ;  Deut.  34  : 1.  When  the  Hebrews 
advanced  to  Canaan,  they  did  not  enter 
the  territory  of  Moab  proper,  Deut.  2:9; 
Judg.  11 :  18  ;  but  there  was  always  a  great 
antipathy  between  the  two  peoples,  which 
arose  from  Balaam  having  seduced  the 
Hebrews  to  sin  bv  the  daughters  of  Moab. 
Num.  25 :  1,  2 ;  Deut.  23  :  3-6.  After  the 
death  of  Joshua  the  Moabites  oppressed  the 
Hebrews,  but  they  were  delivered  by  Ehud. 
Judg.  3  :  21.  David  subdued  Moab  and 
Ammon,  and  made  them  tributary.  2  Sam. 
8  :  2-12  ;  23  :  20.  Soon  after  the  'death  of 
Ahab  they  began  to  revolt,  2  Kings  3  :  4,  5 ; 
Isa.  16  :  1,  2,  and  were  subsequently  en- 
gaged in  wars  with  the  Hebrews.  2  Chron. 
20  :  1,  10  ;  27  :  5.  Under  Nebuchadnezzar 
the  Moabites  acted  as  the  auxiliaries  of  the 
Chaldeans,  2  Kings  24  :  2 ;  Ezek.  25  :  8-11 ; 
and  during  the  exile  they  took  possession 
once  more  of  their  ancient  territory,  va- 
cated by  the  tribes  of  Reuben  and  Gad  ;  as 
did    the   Ammonites   also.     Jer.    49  :  1-5. 


Some  Lime  after  the  exile  their  name  was  lost 
under  that  of  the  Arabians,  as  was  also  the 
case  with  the  Ammonites  and  Edomites. 
The  famous  Moabite  Stone,  bearing  an  in- 
scription of  Mesha,  a  king  of  Moab,  about 
9U0  B.  c,  was  found  at  Dibon,  in  Moab, 
within  the  gateway  by.  Rev.  F.  A.  Klein— a 
German  missionary  at  Jerusalem— in  1868. 
The  stone  is  of  black  basalt,  3  feet  8>^ 
inches  high,  2  feet  33^  inches  wide,  and  1 
foot  1.78  inches  thick.  It  has  34  lines  of 
Hebrew-Phoenician  writing,  and  contains 
a  most  remarkable  corroboration  of  the 
Scripture  history  in  2  Kings  3.  The  long- 
predicted  doom  of  Moab  is  now  fulfilled, 
and  the  48th  chapter  of  Jeremiah  is  veri- 
fied on  the  spot  by  the  traveller.  There 
are  27  references  to"  Moab  in  this  chapter, 
and  121  in  the  Scriptures. 

Mole.  In  Lev.  11 :  30  A.  V.  the  Hebrew 
word  is  beUeved  to  denote  the  chame- 
leon. The  R.  V.  reads  :  "And  the  gecko,  and 
the  land-crocodile,  and  the  lizard,  and  the 
sand  lizard,  and  the  chameleon."  Another 
word  rendered  "  mole,"  in  Isa.  2  :  20,  means 
"the  burrower."  As  no  true  moles  have 
been  found  in  Palestine,  this  term  may 
comprehend  the  various  rats  and  weasels 
that  burrow  about  ruins. 

Molech  (ino'lek),  the  ruler,  Lev.  18  :  21,  or 
Milcoin  {mU'kom),  1  Kings  11  :  5,  or  Mo- 
locli,  Acts  7 :  43.  The  name  of  an  idol- 
god  worshipped  by  the  Ammonites  with  hu- 
man sacrifices,  especially  of  children.  The 
rabbins  tell  us  that  it  was  made  of  brass 
and  placed  on  a  brazen  throne,  and  that 
the  head  was  that  of  a  calf  with  a  crown 
upon  it.  The  throne  and  image  were  made 
hollow,  and  a  furious  fire  was  kindled 
within  it.  The  flames  penetrated  into  the 
body  and  limbs  of  the  idol :  and  when  the 
arms  were  red-hot,  the  victim  was  thrown 
into  them,  and  was  almost  immediately 
burned  to  death,  while  its  cries  were 
drowned  by  drums.  Though  warned  against 
this  idolatry,  common  to  all  the  Canaanite 
tribes,  though  probably  not  of  Canaanite 
origin,  the  Jews  were  repeatedly  allured  to 
adopt  it.  2  Kings  23  :  10  ;  Ezek.  20  :  20.  In 
the  Valley  of  Hinnom  they  set  up  a  taber- 
nacle to  Molech,  and  there  they  sacrificed 
their  children  to  the  idol. 

Money.  Gen.  17  :  12.  This  word  occurs 
about  130  times  in  the  A.  V.,  and  represents 
three  Hebrew  words  :  keseph  or  k'saph  oc- 
curring most  frequently  (about  110  times)  in 
liistorical  books,  only  a  few  times  in  the 
poetical  books,  as  Ps.  15 :  5 ;  Prov.  7  :  20 ;  Lam. 
5  : 4.  Two  other  Hebrew  words,  qesitah 
and  qimjon,  also  appear  early  in  the  Old 
Testament.  Gen.  33 :  19 ;  Lev.  22  :  11.  Money 
also  represents  six  Greek  words  in  the  New 
Testament :  argurion,  meaning  "  silver," 
Matt.  25  :  18;  kerma,  a  small  coin.  John  2; 
15 ;  nnmismn,  meaning  possibly  "  legal  coin," 
Matt.  22  :  19 ;  chalkos,  a  copper  coin,  Mark 
6:8;  ckrema,  Acts  8  :  18,  and  stater,  rendered 
"  shekel "  in  the  R.  V.,  equal  to  24  drachmas. 
Matt.  17  :  27.  Coined  money,  as  now  in  use 
among  civilized  nations,  was  unknown  in 
the  world  until  about  six  hundred  years  be- 
fore Christ.  The  Assyrians,  Babylonians, 
and  Egyptians  had  no  coins  until  about  b.  c. 
157 


MONEY-CHANGERS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


MOSES 


300.  DaA'id  and  Solomon  never  saw  any 
coined  money.  The  Jews  had  none  until 
the  time  of  the  Maccabees,  about  b.  c.  loO. 
Before  the  periods  named,  gold  and  silver 
were  used  as  money  by  weight;  and  are 
now  so  used  in  some  eastern  countries. 
The  first  mention  of  money  is  in  the  touch- 
ing story  of  Abraham's  buying  a  burial 
place  for  his  wife.  It  is  said,  '-Abraham 
weighed  the  silver,  four  hundred  shekels, 
current  with  the  merchant."  Gen.  23  : 4-16. 
It  appears  to  have  been  then  in  general  use. 
The  study  of  ancient  coined  money  is  inter- 
esting, showing  the  rise  of  the  arts  and 
their  fall  during  the  dark  ages  of  priestcraft, 
from  the  fourth  to  the  fifteenth  centuries ; 
the  coins  of  400  years  before  Christ  being 
superb,  while  those  a  thousand  years  after 
Christ  are  hardly  discernible.  The  early 
coins  show,  not  only  the  likenesses  of  kings 
and  emperors,  but  also  many  of  the  most 
important  events  of  their  reigns.  For  the 
coins  mentioned  in  the  Bible,  see  Shekel, 
Penny,  Farthing. 

Money-changers.    Matt.  21 :  12 ;  Mark 
11 :  15 ;  John  2 :  15.     According  to  Ex.  30  : 


I  13-15,  every  Israehte  w^ho  had  reached  the 
I  age  of  twenty  must  pay  into  the  treasury, 
whenever  the  nation  was  numbered,  a  half- 
shekel  as  an  oft'ering  to    Jehovah.     The 
money-changers  whom  Christ,  for  their  im- 
I  piety,  avarice,  and  fraudulent  deahng,  ex- 
i  pelled  from  the  temple  were  the  dealers 
who  supplied  half-shekels,  for  such  a  pre- 
mium as  they  might  be  able  to  exact,  to  the 
Jews  from  all  parts  of  the  world  who  as- 
sembled at  Jerusalem  during  the  great  fes- 
tivals,   and  were    required   to   pay  their 
tribute  or  ransom  money  in  the  Hebrew 
coin. 

Month.  Gen.  8  : 4.  The  ancient  He- 
brews called  the  months  by  their  numbers ; 
as  first  month,  second  month,  third  month! 
etc.,  and  also  had  a  name  for  each  month. 
They  likewise  had  a  civil  and  a  sacred  year. 
The  sacred  year  w^as  used  in  computing 
their  festivals',  and  chiefly  by  sacred  writers. 
The  civil  year  was  used  in  reckoning  their 
jubilee,  the  reign  of  kings,  and  birth  of 
children.  The  length  of  the  month  de- 
pended on  the  changes  of  the  moon.  The 
names  of  the  Hebrew  months  follow : 


Civil.  Sacred. 

vn I. 

vni n. 

IX III. 

X IV. 

XI V. 

XII VI. 


Beginning  with  the  new  moon. 


Feasts. 


Nisan,  or  Abib March,  April Neh.  2 : 1....  -j  P^g^;^ver.  Unleavened 

Zif,  or  Ziv April,  May 1  Kings  6  : 1... Pentecost. 

Sivan May,  June Esthers  :  9 

Thammuz June,  July 

Ab July,  August 

Elul August,  September..Neh.  6  :  15 

( Feast  of  Trumpets. 

J  Atonement. 

(Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

Bui  October,  Novem'r...l  Kings  6  :  38. 

^R^  V^'chislev^^"'  ^^ovember,  Dec'r....Neh.  1 : 1 Dedication. 

Tebeth December,  Jan'y Esther  2  :  16... 

Shebat January,  February.. Zech.  1:  7 

Adar Februah',  March.... Esther  3  :  7 Purim. 


I...  VII.   Tishri,  or  Ethanim.Septem'r,  October  ..1  Kings  8  : 


II  ..VIII. 

Ill IX. 

IV X. 

V XL 

VI. ..XII. 


Twelve  lunar  months,  making  354  days 
and  six  hoiirs,  made  the  Jewish  year 
short  of  the  Roman  by  twelve  days.  To 
compensate  for  this  difference,  the  Jews 
about  every  three  years,  or  seven  times  in 
19  years,  intercalated  a  thirteenth  month, 
which  they  called  Vedar,  the  second  Adar. 
By  this  means  their  lunar  year  equalled 
tlie  solar. 

Mordecai  (mor'de-kdi),  little  man.  A  Jew 
in  the  Persian  court  who  caused  the  deliv- 
erance of  the  Jews  from  the  destruction 
plotted  by  Haman.  This  led  to  the  institu- 
tion of  the  feast  of  Purim.    See  Esther. 

Moreh  {mo'reh).  1.  The  halting  place  of 
Abram  after  his  entrance  into  the  land  of 
Canaan.  Gen.  12 :  6.  It  was  near  Shechem, 
Gen.  12 ;  6,  and  the  mountains  Ebal  and  Ger- 
izim.  Deut.  11 :  30.  2.  The  hill  of  Moreh, 
where  the  Midianites  and  Amalekites  were 
encamped  before  Gideon's  attack  upon 
them.  Judg.  7:1.  It  lay  in  the  valley  of 
Jezreel,  on  the  north  side. 

Moriah  (mo-ri'ah),  chosen  of  Jehovah?  1. 
The  place  where  Abraham  was  directed  to 
158 


offer  Isaac  as  a  sacrifice.  Gen.  22:2.  2.  A 
mount  on  which  Solomon  built  the  temple 
in  Jerusalem.  2  Chron.  3:1.  It  was  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  city,  overlooking  the 
valley  of  the  Kedron,  and  where  was  the 
threshing-floor  of  Araunah.  2  Sam.  24  :  24 ; 
1  Chron.  21 :  24.    See  Jerusalem. 

Moses  (nio'zez),  from  the  water,  i.  e.,  draivn 
from  the  water.  The  prophet  and  legislator 
of  the  Hebrew^s  and  the  son  of  Amram  and 
Jochebed,  and  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  the  son 
of  Jacob.  Ex.  2 :  1, 10 ;  6  :  16-20 :  Josh.  1 : 1, 
2,  15  ;  1  Kings  8  :  53,  56  :  2  Chron.  1:3;  Dan. 
9  :  11  ;  Deut.  34 :  5 ;  Ps.  90  :  title  ;  Ezra  3  : 2. 
He  was  born  inEgypt,  about  b.  c.  1571.  In  his 
infancy,  because  of  the  cruel  edict  of  Pha- 
raoh, lie  was  hid  in  a  boat-cradle  in  the  Nile ; 
but  was  found  and  adopted  by  the  daughter 
of  Pharaoh.  He  was  educated  at  the  Egyp- 
tian court,  and  "  was  learned  in  all  the  wis- 
dom of  the  Egyptians,  and  was  mighty  i  n 
words  and  in  deeds."  Ex.  2  : 1-10  ;  Acts  7  : 
20-22.  When  Moses  had  grown  up,  he  re- 
solved to  deliver  his  people.  Having  slain 
an  Egyptian,  however,  he  fled  into  the  land 


MOTH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


MYRRH 


of  Midian,  where  he  was  a  shepherd  chief. 
Among  the  Midians,  the  Minni,  who  we 
now  know  were  a  cultured  and  Hterary 
people,  God  further  prepared  him  to  be  the 
dehverer  of  his  chosen  people.  By  a  suc- 
cession of  miracles,  which  God  wrought  by 
liis  hand,  Moses  brought  the  Hebrews  out 
of  Egypt,  and  tlirough  the  wilderness,  unto 
the  borders  of  Canaan.  See  Sinai.  He  was 
only  allowed  to  behold,  not  to  enter  tlie 
Promised  Land.  Having  accompUslied  his 
mission  and  attained  to  the  age  of  120  years, 
with  the  faculties  of  mind  and  body  unim- 
paired, the  legislator  transferred  Ms  author- 
ity to  Joshua ;  and,  ascending  the  summit 
of  Pisgah,  he  gazed  on  the  magniticent  pros- 
pect of  the  "  goodly  Land."  There  he  died, 
and  "the  Lord  buried  him  in  a  valley  in 
tlie  land  of  Moab,  over  against  Beth-peor ; 
but  no  man  knoweth  of  his  sepulchre  unto 
this  day."  Dent.  34 : 1-7.  God  buried  Mo- 
ses. It  was  lilting,  therefore,  tliat  he  too 
should  write  liis  epitaph.  "And  there  arose 
not  a  prophet  since  in  Israel  like  unto  Mo- 
ses, whom  the  Lord  knew  face  to  face,  in 
all  the  signs  and  the  wonders  which  the 
Lord  sent  him  to  do  in  the  land  of  Egypt, 
to  Pharaoh,  and  to  all  his  servants,  and  to 
all  his  land,  and  in  all  that  mighty  land, 
and  in  all  the  great  terror  ^vhich  Moses 
showed  in  the  sight  of  all  Israel."  Deut. 
34 :  10-12. 

Moth.  The  clothes-moth,  which,  in  its 
caterpillar  state,  is  very  destructive  to 
woven  fabrics.  In  Job  4 :  19  man  is  said 
to  be  "crushed  before  the  moth" — that  is, 
more  easily  than  the  moth. 

Mourning.  Oriental  mourning  is  public 
and  careful  of  prescribed  ceremonies.  Gen. 
23 :  2 ;  Job  1 :  20  ;  2 :  12.  Among  the  forms 
observed  the  following  may  be  mentioned : 
Rending  the  clothes.  Gen.  37  :  29,  34  ;  44  :  13, 
etc. :  dressing  in  sackcloth.  Gen.  37 :  34 ;  2 
Sam.  3  :  31 ;  21 :  10,  etc. :  ashes,  dust  or  earth 
sprinkled  on  the  person,  2  Sam.  13  :  19  ;  15  : 
32,  etc. ;  black  or  sad-colored  garments,  2 
.Sam.  14 : 2 :  Jer.  8  :  21,  etc. ;  removal  of  orna- 
ments or  neglect  of  person.  Dent.  21 :  12,  13, 
etc.  ;  shaving  the  head,  plucking  out  the 
hair  of  the  head  or  beard.  Lev.  10  :  6 ;  2 
Sam.  19 :  24,  etc. ;  laying  bare  some  part  of 
the  body,  Isa.  20  : 2 ;  47  : 2,  etc.  ;  fasting  or 
abstinence  in  meat  and  drink,  2  Sam.  1 :  12  ; 
3:3-5;  12 :  16,  22,  etc.  In  later  times  for  tlie 
employment  of  persons  hired  for  the  pur- 
pose of  mourning,  Eccl.  12  :  5 ;  Jer.  9  :  17 ; 
Amos  5  :  16 ;  Matt.  9  :  23,  friends  or  passers- 
by  to  join  in  the  lamentations  of  bereaved 
or  afflicted  persons.  Gen.  .50  : 3  ;  Judg.  11 : 
40 ;  Job  2  :  11 ;  30  :  25,  etc.  ;  and  in  ancient 
times  the  sitting  or  lying  posture  in  silence 
indicative  of  grief,  Gen.  23 :  3 ;  Judg.  20  :  26, 
etc.  The  period  of  mourning  varied.  In 
the  case  of  Jacob  it  was  seventy  days.  Gen. 
50  : 3 ;  of  Aaron,  Num.  20  :  29,  and  Moses, 
Dent.  34  : 8,  thirty.  A  furtlier  period  of  seven 
days  in  Jacob's  case.  Gen.  50 :  10.  Seven 
days  for  Saul,  which  may  have  been  an 
abridged  period  in  the  time  of  national 
danger.    1  Sam.  31 :  13. 

Mou.se.  Tristram  found  23  species  of 
mice  in  Palestine.  In  Lev.  11 :  29,  and  Isa. 
66 :  17  this  word  is  doubtless  usedgenerically, 


including  as  unclean  even  tlie  larger  rat, 
jerboa,  dormouse,  and  sand-rat.  They  made 
great  havoc  in  the  fields  of  the  Philistines 
after  that  people  had  taken  the  ark  of  the 
Lord.    1  Sam.  6 : 4,  5. 

Mulberry  Trees.  Some  of  the  best  re- 
cent authorities  advocate  tlie  aspen  or  bal- 
sam, a  few  species  of  which  grow  in  Pales- 
tine. The  "going"  in  the  tree-tops,  which 
was  to  be  the  sign  that  God  went  out  before 
the  host,  2  Sam.  5 :  23,  24,  may  have  been 
the  rustle  of  these  leaves,  which  are  prover- 
bial for  their  readiness  to  tremble  before  the 
slightest  breeze. 

Murrain.  Ex.  9  : 3.  See  Plagues  of 
Egypt. 

Music.  1  Sam.  18  : 6 ;  Isa.  30  :  29.  The 
practice  of  music  was  not  restricted  to  any 
one  class  of  persons.  1  Chron.  13  :  8  ;  15 : 
16.  The  sons  of  Asaph,  Hemaii,  and  Jedu- 
thun  were  set  apart  by  David  for  the  musi- 
cal service.  They  were  divided,  like  the 
priests,  into  24  courses,  whicli  are  enumer- 
ated. 1  Chron.  25.  Of  the  38,000  Levites, 
"four  thousand  praised  the  Lord  witli  the 
instruments."  1  Chron.  23  :  5.  Each  of  the 
courses  or  classes  had  154  musicians  and 
three  leaders,  and  all  were  under  the  gen- 
eral direction  of  Asaph  and  his  brethren. 
Each  course  served  for  a  week,  but  upon 
the  festivals  all  were  required  to  be  present, 
or  four  thousand  musicians.  Heman,  with 
one  of  his  leaders,  directed  the  central 
choir,  Asaph  the  right,  and  Jeduthun  the 
left  wing.  These  several  choirs  answered 
one  another,  as  is  generally  supposed,  in 
that  kind  of  alternate  singing  which  is 
called  "  anti phonal,"  or  responsive.  The 
priests,  in  the  meantime,  performed  upon 
the  silver  trumpets,  2  Chron.  5  :  11-14 ; 
Num.  10:2. 

Musical  Instruments,  Eccl.  2:  8, 
A.  V.  They  were  invented  by  Jubal,  the 
son  of  Lamech,  Gen.  4 :  21,  and  had  appro- 
priate names.  Gen.  31 :  27.  They  may  be 
divided  into  three  classes— stringed  instru- 
ments, wind  instruments,  and  such  as  gave 
their  sounds  on  being  struck.  Of  stringed 
instruments  were  the  harp,  the  instrument 
of  ten  strings,  the  saekbut,  and  the  psaltery. 
They  are  described  under  their  proper 
names.  The  instruments  of  music  men- 
tioned in  1  Sam.  18  :  6,  as  used  by  women, 
are  supposed  to  have  been  metalUc  trian- 
gles, as  the  name  indicates. 

Mustard.  Matt.  13  :  31,  32 ;  17 :  20 ;  Luke 
17:6.  This  plant  is  the  black  mustard 
{Sinapis  nigra).  In  tlie  fertile  and  warm 
soil  of  Palestine,  especially  when  cultivated, 
this  herb  must  have  reached  considerable 
size.  Dr.  Thomson  has  seen  it  there  as 
tall  as  the  horse  and  his  rider,  and  the 
ground  near  the  Sea  of  Galilee  is  often 
"  gilded  over  with  its  yellow  flowers." 

Myra  {my'rah),  flowing,  weeping.  An 
ancient  yjort  in  Lycia,  on  the  southwest 
coast  of  Asia  Minor.  Acts  27  : 5.  It  was  on 
the  river  Andriacus,  about  2}-^  miles  from 
its  mouth.  The  magnificent  ruins  of  the 
city  stand  upon  a  hill  not  far  from  the  sea. 

Myrrh.    A  gum  resin,  celebrated  for  its 
aromatic  properties.    It  derives  its  name 
from  the  Hebrew  word  mor,  which  implies 
159 


MYRTLE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


NAHASH 


"flowing "or  "distilling,"  Greek  murrha. 
The  Balsamodendron  myrrha,  of  the  natural 
order  Terehinthacese,  is  the  tree  found  in 
Arabia  and  Africa,  from  ^vhich  myrrh  is 
chiefly  procured.  It  exudes  from  the  bark, 
and  is  at  first  soft,  oily,  and  yellowish-white ; 
it  afterwards  acquires  the  consistency  of 
butter,  and  becomes  still  harder  by  expo- 
sure to  the  air,  changing  to  a  reddish  hue. 
In  commerce  it  is  of  two  kinds,  "  myrrh  in 
tears  "  and  "  myrrh  in  sorts."  Myrrh  is  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  Scripture.  It  was  an 
ingredient  in  the  holy  anointing  oil,  Ex.  30: 
23 ;  it  was  used  in  perfumes,  Ps.  45  : 8 ;  Prov. 
7  :  17  ;  Song  of  Sol.  1 :  13 ;  3:6;  in  unguents, 
Esth.  2  :  12 ;  Song  of  Sol.  5  :  5 ;  for  strength- 
ening wine,  Mark  15 :  23 ;  also  in  embahning, 
John  19  :  30.  INIyrrh  was  among  the  offerings 
made  by  the  eastern  sages.  Matt.  2 :  11. 
The  best  was  that  which  flowed  sponta- 
neously from  the  tree. 

Myrtle.  This  plant,  Myrfiis  communis, 
grows  in  the  east  into  a  tree  of  twenty  feet 
in  height.  The  myrtle  was  an  emblem  of 
peace  and  quietude  ;  hence  allusions  to  it 
are  frequently  introduced  bv  the  sacred 
writers.  Isa.  41 :  19  ;  55  :  13 ;  Zech.  1 : 8-11. 
Branches  of  it  were  used  for  constructing 
booths  and  arbors  at  the  feast  of  taber- 
nacles.   Neh.  8  :  15. 

Mysia  {mlsh'i-ah),  or  7m.zh-1.-ah,  beech  re- 


gion 


A  province    in    the   northwestern 


angle  of  Asia  INIinor,  celebrated  for  its  fer- 
tihty.    Acts  16 : 7,  8 ;  20  : 5. 

Mystery.  Eph.  1:8, 9.  This  word  does  not 
mean  something  absolutely  hidden  and 
unintelhgible.  It  is  rather  a  design  hidden 
in  God's  counsels  until  revealed  to  mankind 
in  and  by  Christ.  Hence  we  find  it  contin- 
ually employed  in  the  New  Testament  to 
indicate  tliose  gracious  purposes  and  plans, 
which  were  by  degrees  elaborated  and  illus- 
trated, and  on  which  the  teaching  of  our 
Lord  and  his  apostles  threw  the  clearest 
light,  but  which  remained  hidden  to  those 
who  would  not  understand,  and  who  had 
their  minds  blinded  against  the  truth. 
Thus  the  gospel  is  called  "  the  mystery  of 
the  faith,"  "the  mystery  of  godliness,"  1 
Tim.  3 : 9,  16,  which  mystery  is  immediately 
after  explained  to  be  the'  revelation  and 
glorious  work  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  So 
the  calling  of  the  Gentiles  and  their  union 
into  one  body,  God's  church,  with  the  Jews, 
is  called  a  mvsterj-,  long  hidden,  but  at 
last  made  known.  Eph.  1 :9,  10;  3  :8-10; 
Col.  1 :  25-27.  In  the  same  way  it  is  else- 
where used  for  a  truth  or  doctrine,  w'hich 
required  elucidation,  and  which  received  it. 
Matt.  13  :  11 ;  Eom.  11  :  25 :  1  Cor.  13  : 2 ;  15  : 
51,  52.  The  word  is  also  employed  symbol- 
ically. Thus  Paul  treating  of  the  primary 
institution  of  marriage  introduces  the  term, 
because  the  marriage  tie  was  a  figurative 
rei)resentation  of  that  yet  closer  union  into 
which  Christ  brings  his  church,  wherein 
the  two  are  "one  spirit."  Eph.  5:31,  82; 
comp.  6  :  17.  In  prophetical  language  there 
is  a  similar  use  of  the  word  mystery.  Thus 
the  "seven  stars"  symbolized  "the  angels 
nf  the  seven  churches,"  and  the  "seven 
candlesticks  "  the  "  seven  churches."  Rev. 
1:20;  comp.  17:5,  7. 
160 


Naaman  (nd'a-mdn),  pleasantness.  1. 
"  Naaman  the  Syrian,"  to  whose  cure  our 
Lord  referred.  Luke  4  :  27.  Naaman  was 
commander-in-chief  of  the  army  of  Syria, 
and  was  nearest  to  the  person  of  the  king, 
Ben-hadad  II.,  whom  he  accompanied  oth- 
cially  when  he  went  to  worship  in  the  tem- 
ple of  Eimmon,  2  Kings  5  :  18,  at  Damas- 
cus, the  capital.  Naaman  was  afflicted  with 
a  leprosy  of  the  white  kind,  which  had 
hitherto  defied  cure.  A  little  IsraeUtish 
captive  maiden  tells  him  of  the  fame  and 
skill  of  Elisha,  and  he  is  cured  by  him  by 
following  his  simple  directions  to  bathe  in 
the  Jordan  seven  times.  See  2  Kings  5  :  14. 
After  his  cure  he  gratefully  acknowledged 
the  poM' er  of  the  God  of  Israel,  and  prom- 
ised "henceforth  to  ofl'er  neither  burnt  of- 
fering nor  sacrifice  unto  other  gods,  but 
unto  the  Lord."  How  long  Naaman  lived 
to  continue  a  worshipper  of  Jehovah  while 
assisting  officially  at  the  Avorship  of  Rim- 
mon  we  are  not  told;  " but  his  memory  is 
perpetuated  by  a  leper  hospital  which'oc- 
cupies  the  traditional  site  of  his  house  in 
Damascus,  on  the  banks  of  the  Abana." 
2.  One  of  the  family  of  Benjamin  who 
came  down  to  Egypt  with  Jacob,  as  read  in 
Gen.  46  :  21.  He  was  the  son  of  Bela,  and 
head  of  the  family  of  the  Naamites.  Num. 
26  :  40 ;  1  Chron.  8 : 3,  4. 

Nabal  {nd'bal),  foolish,  impious.  A  man 
of  the  house  of  Caleb,  who  had  large  pos- 
sessions in  Carmel.  He  treated  David  very 
churlishly,  and  was  saved  from  the  disas- 
trous consequence  by  his  wife  Abigail, 
Avhom  David  married  after  Nabal's  death. 
1  Sam.  25 ;  27  : 3  ;  30  :  5 ;  2  Sam.  2:2;  3:3. 

Nabotli  (nd'bdth),  fruits.  An  Israehte  of 
Jezreel  who  owned  a  vineyard  adjoining 
the  palace  of  king  Ahab.  1  Kings  21 : 1. 
Anxious  to  secure  this  spot  to  use  it  for  a 
garden,  the  king  yjroposed  to  buy  it ;  but 
Naboth  declined  to  sell.  So  Jezebel,  the^ 
wife  of  Ahab,  made  a  kicked  plan  to  have* 
Naboth  condemned  to  death  on  a  false 
charge  of  blasphemy,  and  thus  allow  the 
king  to  seize  upon  the  vineyard.  The  mur- 
der was  avenged  by  the  doom  immediately 
passed  upon  Ahab  and  Jezebel,  the  royal 
murderers.    1  Kings  21 :  19. 

Nadab  (na'ddb),  spontaneous,  liberal.  1. 
The  eldest  son  of  Aaron.  Ex.  6  :  23 ;  24  : 1, 
9 ;  28  : 1 ;  Lev.  10  : 1 ;  Num.  3  : 2,  4  ;  26 :  60, 
61 ;  1  Chron.  6 : 3  ;  24  : 1,  2.  2.  The  son  and 
successor  of  Jeroboam  I.,  king  of  Israel, 
whose  sinful  conduct  he  imitated.  He 
reigned  two  years,  954-953  B.  c,  and  while 
engaged  at  the  siege  of  Gibbethon  he  and 
all  his  house  were  slain  bv  Baasha.  1  Kings 
14  :  20  ;  15  :  25-31.  3.  One  of  Judah's  pos- 
terity. 1  Chron.  2  :  28,  30.  4.  A  Benjamite, 
one  of  the  familv  from  which  Saul  de- 
scended.   1  Chron.  8  :  30  ;  9  :  36. 

Naliash  (na'hdsh),  serpent.  1.  An  Am- 
monite king.  He  offered  to  Jabesh-gilead 
a  treaty  on  condition  that  the  citizens 
should  submit  to  the  loss  of  their  right  eyes. 
This  cruelty  aroused  the  indignation  of 
Saul,  who  defeated  their  enemies.     At  a 


NaHOR 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


NATHAN AEi 


subsequent  period  he  was  on  friendly  rela- 
tions with  David.  '2  Sam.  10  :  2.  2.  Men- 
tioned as  father  of  Abigail.  2  Sam.  17  :  25. 
Some  identify  him  with  Jesse,  and  othere 
with  Nahash,  king  of  the  Ammonites. 

Nalior  {na'hor),  snorting.  1.  One  of  the 
patriarchs,  father  of  Terah  and  grandfather 
of  Abraham.  Gen.  11 :  22-25  ;  1  Chron.  1 : 
26.  He  is  called  Nachor  in  Luke  3 :  34,A.V. 
2.  A  son  of  Terah.  It  would  seem  that  he 
must  have  accompanied  his  father  to  Ha- 
ran ;  for  it  is  sometimes  styled  the  city  of 
Nahor.  Gen.  11 ;  26,  27,  29  ;  22 :  20-24  ;  24  : 
10,  15,  24,  47;  29:5;  31:  53.  He  is  called 
Nachor  in  Josh.  24 : 2,  A.  V. 

Nahum  (Nd'hum),  consolation.  One  of 
the  twelve  minor  prophets.  In  Nah.  1 : 1 
he  is  called  an  Elkoshite.  Some  refer  this 
name  to  a  place  in  Galilee,  others  to  a  vil- 
lage on  the  Tigris.  The  intimate  acquaint- 
ance the  book  shows  with  Syrian  affairs 
makes  it  probable  that  Nahum  hved  an 
exile  in  Assyria,  and  perhaps  at  the  vil- 
lage on  the  Tigris.  Nahum  prophesied  be- 
fore the  destruction  of  Nineveh,  which  he 
predicts,  and  probably  in  the  reign  of  Heze- 
kiah. 

Book  of.  It  is  a  poem  of  great  sublimity, 
and  admirable  for  the  elegance  of  its  im- 
agery. It  describes  with  much  beauty  and 
poetic  force  the  siege  and  destruction  of 
Nineveh  as  a  punishment  for  her  wicked- 
ness.   Nah.  chaps.  2  and  3. 

Nain  {mVin),  beauty.  A  town  in  Galilee 
where  Christ  raised  the  widow's  dead  son 
to  life.  Luke  7  :  11.  It  is  now  called  Nein, 
and  is  on  the  northwestern  edge  of  Little 
Hermon,  six  miles  southeast  of  Nazareth, 
and  25  miles  southwest  of  Tell  Hum  (Ca- 
pernaum ?). 

N  a  i  o  t  li  (nd'xjoth),  habitations.  A  place 
near  Ramah  where  Samuel  dwelt.  1  Sam. 
19 :  18-23 ;  20  : 1.  Some  interpret  the  word 
to  mean  a  school  of  prophets  over  which 
Samuel  presided. 

Name.  Gen.  2  :  19.  This  sometimes  has 
a  y)eculiar  signification,  as  in  Prov.  18  :  10, 
where  the  term  denotes  God  himself  See, 
also,  Ps.  20  : 1,  5,  7.  In  the  New  Testament 
it  usually  means  the  character,  taith,  or 
doctrine  of  Christ.  Acts  5  :  41 ;  8  :  12 ;  9 : 
15,  and  26:9.  The  names  of  God  are  ex- 
pressive of  some  element  of  his  character 
—are  the  symbol  of  some  revealed  attribute 
of  his  nature.  We  name  him  only  because 
we  know  him,  and  we  know  him  only  be- 
cause he  has  made  himself  known.  Names 
among  the  Jews  usually  had  a  meaning 
and  a  relation  of  some  peculiar  circum- 
stances in  the  character,  birth,  or  destiny 
of  the  person.  Ex.  2  :  10  and  18 :  3,  4 :  Matt. 
1:21.  The  same  person  often  had  two 
names.  Names  were  changed,  and  are 
still,  in  Eastern  countries,  for  slight  reasons. 
A  change  of  oflice  or  station  often  occa- 
sioned a  change  of  name.  "And  upon  his 
thigh  a  name  written."  Rev.  19 :  16.  This 
alludes  to  an  ancient  custom  among  East- 
ern nations  of  adorning  the  images  of 
their  gods  and  the  persons  of  princes  and 
heroes  witli  inscriptions  expressive  of  their 
character,  titles,  etc.  They  <^ere  made  on 
the  garment,  or  on  one  of  the  thighs,  and 


several  ancient  statues  have  been  discov- 
ered, with  inscriptions  of  one  or  two  lines, 
written  sometimes  horizontally  and  some- 
times perpendicularly,  both  on  the  inside 
and  outside  of  tlie  thigh,  and  sometimes 
upon  both  thighs.  Men  surname  them- 
selves by  the  name  of  Israel,  when,  having 
been  before  Gentiles  and  sinners,  they  join 
themselves  to  Jesus  and  his  church.  *Isa. 
44:5. 

Naomi  {na-o'mt  or  nd'o-mi),  my  delight. 
The  wife  of  Elimelech,  and  the  mother-in- 
law  of  Ruth,  and  who  moved  with  their 
two  sons  from  Judaea  to  Moab  in  the  time 
of  a  famine.  Ruth  1 :  2.  Elimelech  died, 
and  also  his  two  sons,  each  leaving  a 
widow  ;  Naomi,  thus  bereaved,  started  back 
to  her  native  countrj-.  Orpah  remained 
behind,  but  Ruth  accompanied  her.  Once 
back  in  Bethlehem,  she  wished  to  be  known 
by  the  name  Mara— "bitterness."  Slie 
thenceforth  acted  the  part  of  a  faithful 
mother  to  Ruth. 

Naphtali  {nCiph'ta-li),  my  wrestling.  The 
sixth  son  of  Jacob,  by  Bilhah,  Rachel's 
handmaid.  Gen.  30  :  7,  8.  He  had  four  sons. 
Gen.  46  :  24 ;  Ex.  1 : 4 ;  1  Chron.  7  :  13.  Jacob 
said,  "NaphtaU  is  a  hind  let  loose,  he  giv- 
eth  goodly  words,"  graceful  and  eloquent. 
Gen.  49 :  21. 

Territory  op  Naphtali,  peopled  by  his 
descendants,  called  Nephthalim,  Matt.  4 : 
15,  A.  v.,  was  called  "the  west  and  the 
south,"  A. v.,  hterally  "the sea  and  the  cir- 
cuit." Deut.  33  :  23  ;  Josh.  19  :  32-39.  It  lay 
in  a  rich  and  fertile  portion  of  Northern 
Palestine,  partly  along  the  Lebanon  range, 
called  "  the  mount  of  Naphtali."  Josh.  19  : 
32-39  ;  20  :  7,  R.  V.,  "  Hill  country  of  Naph- 
tah."  They  attended  in  force  at  the  corona- 
tion of  David,  1  Chron.  12  :  :34,  and  are  men- 
tioned with  honor  in  the  wars  of  the  Judges, 
Judg.  1 :  33 ;  5  :  18 ;  6  :  35 ;  7  :  23,  as  much  re- 
duced by  the  Syrians,  1  Kings  15 :  20,  and  as 
among  the  first  captives  to  Assyria,  2  Kings 
15  :  29  ;  Isa.  9  : 1.  Barak  was  their  most 
notable  leader.  Judg.  4 :  6-16.  Our  Saviour 
spent  much  time  in  the  southern  part  of 
this  region ;  Matt.  4  :  13-15 ;  Mark  2  : 1-12, 
partially  fulfilling  Isa.  9:1, 2. 

Nathan  (nd'than),  given.  1.  A  distin- 
guished prophet  of  Judtea,  in  the  reigns  of 
David  and  Solomon.  2  Sam.  7  :  2.  Nathan 
was  to  tell  David  that  he  could  not  build  the 
temple,  and  to  point  out  David's  sin  against 
Uriah,  which  he  conveyed  under  the  strik- 
ing allegory  of  the  rich  man  and  the  ewe- 
lamb.  Nathan  was  one  of  David's  biogra- 
phers, 1  Chron.  29  :  29,  and  also  Solomon's. 
2  Chron.  9 :  29.  2.  One  of  the  sons  of  David 
by  Bathsheba.  1  Chron.  3:5.  3.  Father  of 
one  of  David's  warriors.  2  Sam.  23  :  36.  4. 
One  of  the  chief  men  who  returned  to  Je- 
rusalem with  Ezra.  Ezra  8  :  16.  5.  A  descend- 
ant of  Caleb.    1  Chron  2  :36. 

Natlianael  (Na-thdn'a-el),  gift  of  God. 
A  native  of  Cana  of  Galilee,  John  21:2, 
whom  our  Lord  called  an  Israelite  without 
guile.  John  1:47.  He  was  led  by  Phihp 
to  Jesus.  He  went  doubting,  with  the  words 
on  his  lips,  "  Can  there  any  good  thing 
come  out  of  Nazareth?"  Jesus,  however, 
at  once  convinces  him  that  he  is  the  Mes- 
161 


NAZARENE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


NEBO 


siah  bv  the  exhibition  of  his  knowledge, 
declaring  that  he  had  seen  Nathanael  un-  j 
der  the  tig  tree  before  ever  Philip  had  called 
him.  Nathanael  confesses  him  to  be  the 
Son  of  God  and  the  King  of  Israel.  The 
name  Nathanael  occurs  only  in  John.  For 
this  reason,  combined  with  the  fact  that 
John  never  mentions  the  name  of  Barthol- 
omew, it  is  generally  supposed  that  the  two 
are  identical. 

Nazarene  {ndz'a-rene').  When  our  Lord 
was  taken  as  a  child  to  Nazareth,  which 
thus  became  for  many  yeai's  his  dwelling- 
place,  the  evangelist  records  this  as  a  fultil- 
ment  of  prophecy,  Matt.  2  :  23,  citing  no 
particular  place,  but  referring  generally  to 
"the  prophets,"  who  predicted  Messiah's 
humble  and  despised  condition.  See  Isa. 
chaps.  52,  5o.  The  words,  "He  shall  be 
called  a  Nazarene,"  do  not  occur  in  the 
writings  of  the  Old  Testament ;  but  the 
thing  or  meaning  conveyed  by  them  is  suf- 
ficiently obvious.  Jesus,  living  at  Nazareth, 
was  from  that  very  circumstance  con- 
temned ;  and  we  find  in  the  course  of  his 
public  career  his  connection  with  that  town 
repeatedly  used  against  him.  John  1 :  46  ;  7  : 
41,  52.  Matthew  notes  that  event  which 
branded  him  with  an  ill-omened  name, 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  and  his  followers  as 
Nazarenes,  comp.  Acts  24  : 5,  as  an  exact 
fulfilment  of  what  ancient  seers  had  fore- 
told. It  is  an  error  to  connect  Matt.  2 :  23 
with  Isa.  11,  from  a  foncied  relation  of  the 
original  Hebrew  word  there  translated 
"  branch"  with  the  name  Nazareth. 

Nazareth  (nclz'a-rdh),  separated  f  Matt. 
2  :  23.  A  city  of  Galilee,  famous  as  the  home 
of  Jesus  during  his  childhood  and  youth 
until  he  began  his  public  ministry.  It  was 
about  14  miles  from  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and 
66  miles  north  of  Jerusalem  in  a  straight 
line.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  sites 
in  the  Holy  Land.  Nazareth  is  not  men- 
tioned in  the  Old  Testament,  nor  by  any 
classical  author,  nor  by  any  writer  before 
the  time  of  Christ.  It  was  for  some  un- 
known reason  held  in  disrepute  among  the 
Jews  of  Judfea.  John  1  :  46.  It  was  situ- 
ated in  a  mountain,  Luke  4  :  29,  within  the 
X^rovince  of  Galilee,  Mark  1  :  9,  and  near 
Cana,  as  John  2:1,2,  11  seems  to  imply. 
There  was  a  precipice  near  the  town,  down 
which  the  people  proposed  to  cast  Jesus. 
Luke  4  :  29.  It  is  mentioned  29  times  in  the 
New  Testament.  At  Nazareth  the  angel 
appeared  to  Marj' :  the  home  of  Joseph, 
Luke  1  :  26 ;  2  :  39,  and  to  that  place  Joseph 
and  Mary  returned  after  their  flight  into 
Egypt.  Matt.  2 :  23.  The  hills  and  places 
about  the  town  possess  a  deep  and  hallowed 
interest  to  the  Christian  as  the  home  of 
Jesus  dtiring  his  childhood  and  youth,  until 
he  entered  upon  his  ministrj^  and  had 
preached  in  the  synagogue,  and  was  re- 
jected by  his  o\A'n  townspeople.  Even  after 
Capernaum  became  "  his  own  city  "  he  was 
known  as  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  Matt.  13: 
54-58 ;  Mark  6  : 1-6 ;  Acts  2  :  22  ;  3  :  6  ;  4  :  10 ; 
6:14,  and  his  disciples  were  called  "Naza- 
renes." The  town  is  now  called  En-Nasi- 
rah,  or  Nasrah,  and  has  from  6t)(K)  to  7000 
population,  though  the  Turkish  officials  es- 
162 


timate  it  at  10,000.  The  brow  of  the  hill 
over  which  the  enraged  Nazarenes  threat- 
ened to  cast  Jesus  is  probably  near  the 
Maronite  church,  though  tradition  places  it 
at  the  "Mount  of  Precipitation,"  two  or 
three  miles  south  of  the  town. 

Nazarites  (nCiz'a-ntes),  properly  Nazirites, 
Num.  6:2,  from  a  Hebrew  word 'signifying 
"  to  separate."  A  Nazirite,  under  the  an- 
cient law,  was  one,  either  male  or  female, 
under  a  vow  to  abstain  from  wine  and  all 
intoxicating  hquors  and  the  fruit  of  the 
vine.  The  hair  should  be  allowed  to  grow 
without  being  shorn,  and  all  contamination 
with  dead  bodies  should  be  avoided.  The 
Nazirite  was  not  even  to  approach  the 
corpse  of  father  or  mother,  Num.  6  : 7,  and 
if  by  accident  this  should  occur,  he  was  re- 
quired to  shave  his  head,  make  offerings, 
and  renew  the  vow.  When  the  time  of  the 
vow  expired,  the  pereon  brought  an  offering 
to  the  temple ;  the  priest  then  cut  off  his 
hair  and  burnt  it ;  after  which  the  Nazirite 
was  free  from  his  vow  and  might  again 
drink  wine.  The  term  of  the  vow  is  left  in- 
definite. "  The  days  of  the  vow  "  is  the  ex- 
pression in  Num.  6.  We  know,  however, 
that  there  were  perpetual  Nazirites.  Sam- 
son and  probably  Samuel  and  John  the 
Baptist  were  perpetual  Nazirites.  Hannah 
promised  the  Lord  that  no  razor  should 
touch  the  head  of  her  child  if  the  Lord 
would  give  her  one,  1  Sam.  1 :  11,  and  the 
angel  predicted  to  Zaeharias  that  John 
would  abstain  entirely  from  wine  and 
strong  drink.    Luke  1 :  15. 

Neapolis  {ne-dp'o-lis),  new  city.  A  place 
in  Northern  Greece  where  Paul  first  landed 
in  Europe,  and  where  he  probably  landed 
on  his  second  visit.  Acts  16 :  11 ;  comp.  20  : 1, 
and  whence  he  embarked  on  his  last  jour- 
ney to  Jerusalem.  Acts  20 :  6.  It  is  now  a 
Turco-Grecian  to\A'n  of  5000  or  6000  popula- 
tion, and  called  Kavalla ;  it  has  numerous 
ruins. 

Nebaiotli  {ne-hu'yoth),  Isa.  60  :  7,  or  Ne- 
bajoth  =  heights,  R.V.,"  Nebaioth,"  Gen.  25 : 
13,  the  first-born,  1  Chron.  1 :  29,  son  of  Ish- 
mael,  whose  descendants  are  supposed  to 
have  settled  in  Arabia,  and  to  have  been  the 
Nabatheans  of  Greek  and  Roman  history. 
They  were  a  pastoral  people,  Isa.  60 : 7, 
whence  the  beautiful  figure  of  the  prophet 
above  cited  respecting  the  gathering  of  the 
Gentile  nations  to  the  sceptre  of  the  Mes- 
siah.   Petra  was  their  chief  city. 

Nelio  {ne'bo),  prodaimer.  1.  One  of  the 
Assyrian  deities,  who  is  represented,  with 
Bel^  as  being  unable  to  resist  the  destruc- 
tion to  which  Cyrus  subjected  their  idols. 
Isa.  46:1.  This' god  was  called  "  he  who 
possesses  intelhgence,"  and  statues  of  him 
are  still  preserved.  2.  A  mountain  of  Moab 
"over against  Jericho."  Deut. 32:49.  "And 
Moses  went  up  from  the  plains  of  Moab 
unto  the  mountain  of  Nebo,  to  the  top  of 
Pisgah,  .  .  .  and  the  Lord  showed  him  all 
the  land  of  Gilead  unto  Dan."  Deut.  34  : 1. 
Nebo  was  a  mountain  in  the  range  of 
mountains  called  Abarim.  While  the  dis- 
cussions respepting  Pisgah  have  been  sharp, 
the  majority  of  ex]>lorers  and  scholars 
agree  in  identifying  Nebo  with  the  north- 


NEBUCHADNEZZAR 


OF  THE   BIBLE, 


:nehemiah 


era  end  of  the  Abarim  range.  See  Pis- 
gah.  3.  Acitveast  of  the  Jordan  ;  rebuilt 
bv  the  Gadites,  Num.  32  :  ?>,  38:  33 :  47  ;  cap- 
tured by  the  Moabites.  isa.  15  : 2 ;  Jer.  48 : 
1,  22.  It  was  eight  miles  south  of  Heshbon ; 
perhaps  el  Ha  bis.  4.  A  town  in  Benjiimin, 
Neh.  7  :  33 ;  possibly  Nuba,  7  miles  north- 
west of  Hebron. 

Nebuchadnezzar  {nrh'a-kad-nlz'zar\ 
may  Nebo  protect  the  crown .'  or,  more  cor- 
rectly, Nebuchadrezzar,  the  son  and 
successor  of  Nabopolassar,  the  founder  of 
the  Babylonish  monarchy,  was  the  most 
illustrious  of  these  kiugs.  2  Kings  24  :  1 ; 
Dan.  chaps.  1-4.  ^Ve  know  of  him  through 
the  book  of  Daniel.  In  the  Berlin  Museum 
there  is  a  black  cameo  with  his  head  upon 
it,  cut  by  his  order,  with  the  inscription : 
"In  honor  of  Merodach,  his  lord,  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, king  of  Babylon,  in  his  life- 
time had  this  made."  Nebuchadnezzar  was 
intrusted  by  his  father  with  rei.)elling  Pha- 
raoh-necho,  and  succeeded  in  defeating 
him  at  Carchemish,  on  the  Euphrates,  b.  c. 
605,  Jer.  46 :  2,  taking  Jerusalem  and  carry- 
ing off  a  portion  of  the  inhabitants  as  pris- 
oners, including  Daniel  and  his  comjian- 
ions.  Dan.  1  :  1-4.  Having  learned  that 
his  father  had  died,  Nebuchadnezzar  has- 
tened back  to  Babylon.  Thus  the  remark, 
"  In  his  days  Nebuchadnezzar,  king  of  Bab- 
ylon, came  up,  and  Jehoiakim  became 
his  servant  three  years,"  2  Kings  24:1,  is 
easily  explained.  The  title  is  given  by  an- 
ticipation, and  the  "  three  years"  are  to  be 
reckoned  from  605  to  603  inclusive.  The 
rebelUon  of  Jehoiakim,  entered  upon, 
probably,  because  Nebuchadnezzar  was  car- 
rying on  wars  in  other  parts  of  Asia,  took 
place  B.  c.  602,  and  was  punished  by  the 
irruption  of  Chaldseans,  Syrians,  Moabites, 
and  Ammonites,  incited,  perhaps,  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar, who,  as  soon  as  possible,  sent 
his  troops  against  Jerusalem,  and  had  him 
taken  prisoner,  but  ultimately  released 
him.  2  Kings  24  :  2.  After  his  death  his 
sou  Jehoiachin  reigned,  and  against  him 
Nebuchadnezzar,  for  the  third  time,  in- 
vaded Palestine  and  besieged  Jerusalem, 
and  all  the  principal  inhabitants  were  car- 
ried to  Babylon.  2  Kings  24  :  12-16.  I\Iat- 
taniah,  whose  name  was  changed  to  Zede- 
kiah,  after  a  reign  of  nearly  ten  years, 
rebelled,  and  was  punished  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, who  went  up  against  Jerusalem 
and  reduced  the  city  to  the  horrors  of 
famine  bef(jre  taking  it.  Zedekiah's  two 
sons  were  killed  before  his  eyes,  and  then 
his  eyes  put  out,  and  he,  as  a  captive,  was 
carried  to  Babylon,  B.  c.  588.  2  Kings  25 :  7. 
On  Nebuchadnezzar's  order,  Jeremiah  was 
kindly  treated.  Jer.  39  :  11-14.  The  words, 
"The  king  spake  and  said.  Is  not  this 
great  Babylon,  that  I  \\-A\e  built  for  the 
house  of  my  kingdom,  by  the  might  of  my 
power,  and  for  the  honor  of  my  majesty  ?" 
Dan.  4  :  30,  are  proved  to  be  characteristic 
by  those  on  an  inscription:  "I  say  it,  I 
liave  built  the  great  house  which  is  the 
centre  of  Babylon  for  the  seat  of  my  rule 
ii''  Babylon."  Of  the  king's  madness  there 
i«,  of  course,  no  direct  mention.  There  is 
an  inscription  which  is  read  by  Sir  H.  Raw. 


iinson  in  a  manner  \^'hich  finds  its  readiest 
explanation  in  the  fact  stated  in  Dan.  4 : 
33  :  "  For  four  years  the  residence  of  my 
kingdom  did  not  delight  my  heart :  in  no 
one  of  my  possessions  did  I  erect  any  im- 
portant building  by  my  might.  I  did  not 
put  up  buildings  in  Babylon  for  myself  and 
for  the  honor  of  my  name.  In  the  worship 
of  Merodach,  my  god,  I  did  not  sing  his 
praise,  nor  did  I  provide  his  altar  with  sac- 
rifices, nor  clean  the  canals."  Nebuchad- 
nezzar is  denominated  "king  of  kings"  by 
Daniel,  2  :  37,  and  ruler  of  a  "  kingdom 
with  power  and  strength  and  glory."  He 
built  the  hanging-gardens  of  Babylon  on  a 
large  and  artificial  mound,  terraced  up  to 
look  like  a  hill.  This  great  work  was  cal led 
by  the  ancients  one  of  the  seven  wonders 
of  the  world.  An  idea  of  the  extent  of 
this  monarch's  building  enterprises  may  be 
drawn  fi'om  the  fact  that  nine-tenths  of  the 
bricks  found  amongst  the  ruins  of  the  an- 
cient capital  are  inscribed  with  his  name. 
He  is  said  to  have  worshipped  the  "King 
of  heaven,"  Dan.  4  •  37,  but  it  may  be  ques- 
tioned whether  he  did  not  conceive  of  the 
Jehovah  of  the  Hebrews  to  be  only  one  of 
many  gods.  He  died  about  b.  c.  561,  after 
a  reign  of  44  years. 

Nebuzaradan  {ntb'u-zdr-cVdan  or  neb'u- 
zar'a-ddn),  prince  favored  by  Nebo.  Nebu- 
chadnezzar's general,  who  effected  the  ruin 
of  Jerusalem.  2  Kings  25  :  8 ;  Jer.  39 :  9-13 ; 
40:1;  52;  12,  15,  16,  26. 

Necho  {ne'ko)  or  Pharaoh-necho.  King 
of  Egypt.  2  Chron.  35  :  20,  R.  V..  "Neco." 
Son  of  Psammetichus.  Josiah,  king  of  Ju- 
dah,  being  tributary  to  the  king  of  Baby- 
ion,  opposed  Necho  on  his  first  expedition 
against  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  gave  him 
battle  at  Megiddo,  where  he  received  the 
wound  of  which  he  died.  On  Necho's  return 
from  the  Euphrates,  where  he  had  taken 
and  garrisoned  the  city  of  Carchemish,  B.f-. 
610,  he  halted  in  Riblah  in  Syria,  and  send- 
ing for  Jehoahaz,  king  of  the  Jcavs,  he  de- 
posed him,  loaded  him  with  chains,  and 
sent  him  into  Egypt.  2  Chron.  36  : 4.  Then 
coming  to  Jerusalem,  he  set  up  EUakim,  or 
Jehoiakim,  Josiah's  first-born,  in  his  place. 
Carchemish  was  retaken  by  the  army  of 
the  king  of  Babylon,  in  the  fourth  year  of 
Jehoiakim,  king  of  Judah,  Jer.  46  :  2 ;  so 
that  Necho  did  not  retain  his  conquests  in 
Svria  more  than  four  vears.  2  Kings  23: 
29  to  24  ;  7.  "  Pliaraoh-iiecoh  "  in  the  R.  V. 
2  Chron.  35  :  20  to  36  :  6. 

Necromancer.  Deut.  18 :  11.  One  who 
professed  to  reveal  future  events  by  pre- 
tended converse  with  the  dead. 

Neheniiah  [nc'he-ml'ah),  comforted  of  Je- 
hovah. 1.  A  Jew  of  piety  and  zeal,  born 
during  the  exile :  but  his  family  and  tribe 
are  not  known.  Raised  to  the  otfice  of 
cup-bearer  to  the  I'ersian  monarch,  Nehe- 
miah  did  not  forget  his  desolated  country, 
and  was  commissioned,  at  his  own  request, 
to  visit  Jerusalem  and  rebuild  the  city, 
which  he  accomplished  under  the  most 
perplexing  difficulties.  The  twentieth  year 
of  Artaxerxes,  when  Nehemiah  went  to 
Jerusalem,  is  usually  fixed  in  b.  c.  444; 
others,  with  some  degree  of  probability,  fix 
163 


NEHILOTH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


NILE 


it  in  B.  c,  454.  Neh  1:1:7:2.  Nehemiah 
was  made  tirshatha  =  "  governor  "  of  Judea, 
under  Artaxerxes  Longimauus.  Neh.  8: 
9 ;  10 : 1 ;  12 :  26.  He  is  also  called  the  pe- 
chah,  whence  the  modern  pasha,  a  governor 
of  a  province.  Neh.  12  :  26.  Nehemiah 
was  governor  of  Jerusalem  twelve  years, 
Neh.  5 :  li-19 :  and  then  returned  to  the 
Persian  court,  where  he  remained  "  certain 
days."  Neh.  13  :  6.  After  nine  or  ten  months 
he  returned  to  Jerusalem,  as  governor,  the 
second  time;  and  corrected  the  abuses 
which  had  crept  in  during  his  absence. 
Neh.  13:7-31;  Mai.  2:9-17;  3 :  (>-12.  He 
remained  in  power  till  the  restoration  of 
aflairs  in  Jerusalem,  probably  about  ten 
years  ;  and  died  at  an  advanced  age,  prob- 
ably in  that  city. 

Nehemiah,  Book  of,  is  the  16th  In  the 
order  of  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament. 
It  supplements  the  book  of  Ezra.  It  re- 
lates Nehemiah's  great  work  of  rebuild- 
ing Jerusalem  and  the  reclamation  of  the 
customs  and  laws  of  Moses,  which  had 
fallen  into  disuse.  The  account  of  the 
walls  and  gates  in  chap.  ?  is  among  the 
most  valuable  documents  for  the  settle- 
ment of  the  topography  of  ancient  Jerusa- 
lem. The  registers  and  lists  of  names  are 
also  of  value.  Nehemiah  is  the  author  of 
the  first  seven  chapters,  and  part  of  the 
twelfth  and  thirteenth.  The  change  from 
the  use  of  the  first  person  to  that  of  the 
third  in  the  remaining  chapters,  and  the 
fact  that  some  names  in  the  lists  were  not 
extant  till  after  Nehemiah's  death,  point  to 
some  other  hand  as  their  author.  2.  One  who 
returned  in  the  first  expedition  from  Baby- 
lon under  Zerut)babel.  Ezra  2:2;  Neh.  7  : 
7.  3.  The  son  of  Azbuk,  who  helped  to  re- 
pair the  gates  of  Jerusalem.    Neh.  3:16. 

Nehilotli  {nc'hi-loth),  Ps.  5,  title,  mean- 
ing "perforated,"  as  flutes,  "wind  instru- 
ments," R.  V. 

N  e  h  11  s  li  t  a  n  (oie-hfish'tan),  the  brazen 
{fling.  The  serpent  of  brass — or  copper— 
which  Moses  made  by  God's  command  in 
the  wilderness.  Num.  21 :  8,  9,  was  prescribed 
for  many  ages.  Hezekiah,  perceiving  that 
the  people  had  been  in  the  habit  of  paying 
a  superstitious  reverence  to  it,  broke  it  up. 
2  Kings  18 :  4.  Probably  Nehushtan  was  the 
name  by  which  it  had  been  ordinarily 
known  ;"  though  some  believe  it  a  term  of 
contempt  then  first  applied. 

Nergal  {ner'gal),  man-devourer,  great 
hero.  An  idol  of  the  Cuthites.  2  Kings  17  : 
30.  The  Jewish  rabbins  fancied  that  this 
idol  was  figured  by  a  cock.  It  is  now  very 
commonly  supposed  to  be  the  planet  Mars. 
The  word  is  used  in  titles,  as  Nergal-share- 
zer,  the  name  of  two  princes  of  Babylon. 
Jer.  39  : 3,  13. 

Nero  [ne'ro).  L.  Domitius  Nero  succeeded 
Claudius  as  emperor  of  Rome,  54  a.  d.,  and 
killed  himself  to  avoid  a  public  execution, 
68.  In  his  reign  that  war  commenced  be- 
tween the  Jews  and  Romans  which  termi- 
nated later  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
by  Titus  and  the  overthrow  of  the  Jewish 
polity.  It  was  under  Nero,  too,  that  a  fierce 
persecution  of  the  Christians  began,  about 
frl  A.  D.,  which  lasted  till  his  death.  Paul 
164 


suffered  martyrdom  In  it  at  Rome,  So 
great  were  this  monarch's  cruelties  that  his 
name  has  ever  since  served  specially  to 
distinguish  a  tyrant.  He  is  frequently  in- 
dicated as  Caesar  in  the  New  Testament, 
Acts  25 1 8, 10-12.  21 :  26  :  32 ;  28  :  19 ;  Phil.  4 : 
22,  and  as  Augustus,  Acts  25  :  21,  25  •.  but 
his  name  Nero  does  not  occur.  See  Caesar. 

Netliliiim  (neth'i-nim),  given,  dedicated. 
The  name  of  the  Hebrew  temple  servants, 
under  the  Levites.  The  whole  of  the  Ne- 
thinim  do  not  appear  to  have  been,  in  their 
origin,  Gibeonites,  as  it  is  not  improbable 
that  other  foreigners  were  occasionally 
added  to  the  staff".  Josh.  9  :  3-27  ;  Ezra  8 : 
20.  The  emi)loyment  of  the  Nethinim, 
though  the  lowest  in  the  service  of  the 
sanctuarj^  was  not  regarded  as  degrading, 
but  rather  as  a  sort  of  honorable  servitude. 
1  Chron.  9  ;  2  ;  Ezra  2  :  43-x58,  70  ;  Neh.  3  : 
31;  7:46-60,73;  11:3,21. 

Nettle.  A  well-known  plant  covered 
with  minute  sharp  hairs,  containing  a  poi- 
son that  produces  a  painful,  stinging  sensa- 
tion. It  grows  on  neglected  ground.  A 
different  Hebrew  word  in  Job  30  :  7  ;  Prov. 
24  :  31 ;  Zeph.  2 ;  9:  seems  to  indicate  a  differ- 
ent species. 

Nibhaz  [nlb'hdz),  barker.  An  idol-god  of 
the  Avites.  2  Kings  17  :  31.  The  name  be- 
ing derived  from  a  word  meaning  "to 
bark,"  it  is  supposed  that  the  god  was 
represented  by  the  figure  of  a  dog.  It 
would,  therefore,  be  alhed  to  Anubis  of  the 
Egyptians. 

Nicodemus  {nik-o-dc'mus),  conqueror  of 
the  'people.  A  Pharisee,  a  ruler  of  the  Jews, 
and  a  teacher  of  Israel,  John  3 : 1,  10, 
whose  secret  visit  to  our  Lord  was  the  occa- 
sion of  the  discourse  recorded  only  by 
John.  Nicodemus  was  a  member  of  the 
Sanhedrin;  and  finally  became  a  follower 
of  Christ,  and  came  with  Joseph  of  Arima- 
thsea  to  take  down  and  embalm  the  body 
of  Jesus.    John  7  :  50  ;  19  :  39. 

Nicolaitans  {n^k-o-lafi-tanz).  Heretical 
persons  or  teacthers,  mentioned  in  Rev.  2  : 

6,  15.    Compare  2  Pet.  2:12,  19;  Jude  4, 

7,  8,  11,  12.  Some  suppose  them  to  have 
been  followers  of  Nicolas  the  deacon,  but 
there  is  no  good  evidence  that  he  ever  be- 
came a  heretic. 

Nicolas  (nWo-las),  conqueror  of  the  peo- 
ple. A  Jewish  proselyte  of  Antioch,  who 
afterwards  embraced  Christianity,  and  was 
among  the  most  zealous  of  the  first  Chris- 
tians, so  that  he  was  chosen  one  of  the 
seven  to  minister  in  the  church  at  Jerusa- 
lem.   Acts  6  : 5. 

Nicopolis  (m-cop'o-lts),  city  of  victory. 
There  were  many  ancient  cities  which  bore 
this  name :  three  in  particular  have  been 
supposed  by  different  critics  the  one  meant. 
Tit.  3  :  12.  One  of  these  was  in  the  north- 
eastern corner  of  Cilicia ;  another  on  the 
'Nessus  in  the  interior  of  Thrace ;  the  third 
in  Epirus  (though  Pliny  assigns  it  to  Acar- 
nania).  This  last,  most 'probably  the  Nicop- 
olis intended  by  Paul,  was  built  by  Augus- 
tus in  commemoration  of  his  victory  at 
Actium. 

Nile,  blue,  dark.  The  great  river  of  Egypt 
and  of  Africa,  its  entire  length  being  about 


NIMRIM 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


NINEVEH 


1000  miles.  The  word  "Nile"  does  not  oc- 
cur in  the  A.  V.,  but  the  river  is  frequently 
referred  to  as  Sihor  or  Shihor,  which  means 
a  "  black  "  or  "  turbid  "  stream,  Josh.  13  ;  3 ; 
Isa.  23  : 3 ;  where  the  R.  V.  reads  '•  Nile  ; " 
Jer.  2  :  18 ;  46 : 7,  8,  R.  V.  "  Nile ; "  1  Chron. 
13 : 5.  It  is  also  designated  simply  the 
"  river,"  R,  V.  margin,  "  Nile,"  Gen.  41 : 1 ; 
Ex.  1:  22;  2:3,  5,  and  the  "flood  of  Egypt," 
R.  v.,  " River  of  Egypt,"  Amos  8:8;  9:5. 
In  the  plural  form  this  word  year,  rendered 
'•  river,"  frequently  refers  to  the  branches 
and  canals  of  the  Nile.  This  famous  river 
is  connected  with  the  earhest  history  of  the 
Egyptian  and  the  Israelitish  nations.  Ex. 
2  :3 ;  7  :  20,  21 ;  Num.  11 : 5  ;  Ps.  105 :  29 ;  Jer. 
46  : 7,  8,  The  Nile  is  not  named  in  the  New 
Testament.  As  rain  seldom  falls  in  Egypt 
proper,  the  fertility  of  the  country  Ls  en- 
tirely dependent  upon  the  annual  rise  of 
the  Nile.  This  usually  begins  in  June  and 
continues  until  near  the  end  of  September, 
the  river  remaining  stationary  for  two  or 
more  weeks,  and  then  attaining  its  highest 
level  in  October,  when  it  begins  to  subside. 
The  successive  years  of  ftimine  in  the  days 
of  Joseph  were  doubtless  due  to  a  deficient 
overflow  of  the  Nile  for  those  years.  For- 
merly this  annual  inundation  turned  Egypt 
into  a  vast  lake,  but  in  later  times  the  water 
hiis  been  distributed  Dy  a  great  network  of 
canals,  from  which  the  huge  basins  of  cul- 
tivated land  into  which  the  canals  divide 
the  country,  are  supplied  with  water  of  the 
depth  required  to  leave  a  deposit  of  mud  to 
fertihze  the  land.  The  native  uses  his  feet 
to  regulate  the  flow  of  water  into  each  of 
the  squares  or  basins  of  land,  and  by  a  dex- 
terous movement  of  his  toes  forms  or  re- 
moves a  tiny  embankment,  as  may  be  re- 
quired to  admit  the  proper  flow  of  water. 
Another  common  mode  is  to  use  the  "  shad- 
oof," a  bucket  attached  to  a  long  pole  hung 
on  a  pivot,  balanced  by  a  stone  or  a  lump  of 
clay  at  one  end,  and  having  the  bucket  on 
the  other  end.  To  this  day  the  Nile  is 
lined  for  hundreds  of  miles  with  these 
shadoofs,  worked  by  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren, who  lift  the  water  out  of  the  river  to 
irrigate  their  fields.  Both  these  methods 
are  believed  to  be  very  ancient,  and  may 
be  alluded  to  by  Moses  in  contrasting  the 
fountains  and  rainfalls  in  Palestine  with 
the  absence  of  this  supply  in  Egypt :  "  For 
the  land,  whither  thou  goest  in"  to  possess 
it,  is  not  as  the  land  of  Egypt,  from  whence 
ye  came  out,  where  thou  sowedst  thy  seed, 
and  wateredst  it  with  thy  foot  as  a  garden 
of  herbs."  Deut.  11 :  10,  11.  The  ancient 
Egyptians  worshipped  the  river  Nile  as  a 
god.  Two  of  the  ten  plagues  sent  upon 
Pharaoh  and  Egypt  before  the  departure  of 
the  Israehtes  were  turning  the  water  of 
the  Nile  into  blood  and  bringing  forth  frogs 
from  the  river.  Ex.  7 :  15-25 ;  8  : 3-7.  The 
papyrus  reeds— whence  paper  is  designated 
—the  flags,  the  lotus,  and  the  various  col- 
ored flowers  formerly  beautifying  the  banks 
of  the  river  have  nearly  all  disappeared, 
thus  fulfilling  prophecy,    Isa.  19  : 6,  7. 

Nimrim  (Nim'rim),  from  Nimr.  Heb. — 
kopard,  a  brook  in  Moab.  Isa.  15 : 6 ;  Jer.  48  : 
84. 

11 


Niiurod  {nhn'rod),  rebellion ;  ov  tlie  valiant, 
A  son  of  Cush  and  grandson  of  Ham.  Gen. 
10:8ff.  He  estabUshed  an  empire  in  Shi- 
nar,  the  classical  Babylonia,  the  chief  towns 
being  Babel,  Erech,  Accad,  and  Calneh: 
and  extended  this  empire  northward  along 
the  course  of  the  Tigris  over  Assyria,  where 
he  founded  a  second  group  of  capitals, 
Nineveh,  Rehoboth,  Calah,  and  Resen. 

Nineveh  (mn'e-veh),  perhaps  dwelling  of 
Nina,  the  capital  and  greatest  city  of  As- 
syria. It  was  founded  by  Nimrod,  Gen.  10 : 
11,  and  was  on  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
river  Tigris,  about  250  miles  in  a  direct  line 
north  of  the  rival  city  of  Babylon,  and  not 
far  from  550  miles  northwest  of  the  Persian 
Gulf.  Assyrian  scholars  are  not  agreed  in 
respect  to  the  size  of  tliis  ancient  city. 
Some,  as  Layard,  regard  it  as  covering'a 
large  parallelogram,  whose  sides  were  each 
from  18  to  20  miles  long,  and  the  ends  12  to 
14  miles  wide.  This  view  would  include 
the  ruins  now  known  as  Konyunjik,  Nim- 
rud,  Khorsabad,  and  Keremles.  Diodorus 
Siculus  makes  the  circumference  of  the 
city  55  miles,  including  pastures  and  pleas- 
lu'e  grounds.  This  view  of  the  great  extent 
of  the  city  is,  on  the  other  hand,  sharply  dis- 
puted by  Rawhnson,  who  tliinks  it  highly 
improbable  that  this  ancient  city  should 
have  had  an  area  about  ten  times  that  of 
London.  He  would  reject  it  on  two 
grounds,  the  one  historical  and  the  other 
topographical.  He  maintains  that  the  ruins 
of  Khoi-sabad,  Keremles,  Ninirud,  and  Kon- 
yunjik bear  on  their  bricks  distinct  local 
titles,  and  that  these  titles  are  found  attach- 
ing to  distant  cities  in  the  historical  in- 
scriptions. According  to  his  view,  Nimrud 
would  be  identified  with  Calah,  and  Khor- 
sabad with  Dur-sargina,  or  "the  city  of 
Sargon."  He  further  claims  that  Assyrian 
writers  do  not  consider  these  places  to  be 
parts  of  Nineveh,  but  distinct  and  separate 
cities ;  that  Calah  was  for  a  long  time  the 
capital,  while  Nineveh  was  a  provincial 
town ;  that  Dur-sargina  ^vas  built  by  Sar- 
gon—not  at  Nineveh,  but  near  Nineveh; 
ai^d  that  Scripture  similarly  distinguishes 
Calah  as  a  place  separate  from  Nineveh, 
and  so  far  from  it  that  there  was  room  for  a 
great  city  between  them.  See  Gen.  10  :  12. 
He  also  suggests  that  a  smaller  city  in  ex- 
tent would  answer  the  requirements  of  the 
description  in  the  book  of  Jonah,  which 
makes  it  a  city  of  "three  days'  journey." 
Jonah  3:3.  As  already  stated,  Nineveh  wa« 
founded  by  Asshur,  or,  as  the  marginal 
reading  of  Gen.  10  :  11  states,  Nimrod.  When 
Nineveh  became  the  capital  of  Assyria  is 
not  definitely  known,  but  it  is  generally  be- 
lieved it  was  during  the  reign  of  Senna- 
cherib. The  prophecies  of  the  books  of 
Jonah  and  Nahum  are  chiefly  directed 
against  this  city.  The  latter  prophet  indi- 
cates the  mode  of  its  capture.  Nah.  1:1-8: 
2  : 6, 8 ;  3  :  18.  Nineveh  was  the  capital  of 
Assyria  during  the  height  of  the  grandeur 
of  that  empire,  and  in"  the  time  of  Senna- 
cherib, Esar-haddon,  and  Assur-bani-pal.  It 
was  besieged  for  two  years  by  the  combined 
forces  of  the  Medes  and  Babylonians,  was 
captured,  and  finally  destroyed  b.  c.  606. 
1G5 


NISROCH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


NOB 


Excavations  have  been  made  by  M.  Botta, 
Layard,  Hormuzd  Kassam,  Loftus,  and 
George  Smith.  Tiiey  have  brought  to  hght, 
among  others,  the  following  noted  build- 
ings :  1.  Three  ruined  temples,  built  and 
restored  by  many  kings  In  different  ages. 
2.  The  palace  of  Shalmaneser,  as  improved 
by  subsequent  rulers.  3.  A  palace  of  an- 
other ruler,  restored  by  Sennacherib  and 
Esar-haddon.  4.  A  palace  of  Tiglath-pileser 
II.  5.  A  temple  of  Nebo.  6.  The  south- 
west palace  of  Sennacherib.  7.  The  north- 
west palace  of  the  same  ruler.  8.  The  city 
walls  built  by  the  latter  king  and  restored 
by  Assur-baul-pal.  See  Assyria.  The  proph- 
ecies respecting  the  destruction  of  Nine- 
veh are  very  specific ;  the  prophet  seemed 
to  see  her  in  her  desolation  and  exclaims : 
"Nineveh  hath  been  from  of  old  like  a 
pool  of  water.  .  .  Nineveh  is  laid  waste : 
who  will  bemoan  her  ?  .  .  .  Thy  worthies 
are  at  rest ;  thy  people  are  scattered  upon 
the  mountains,  and  there  is  none  to  gather 
them,"  Nah.  2:8;  3:7,  18,  R.  V.  "The 
Lord  ,  .  .  will  make  Nineveh  a  desolation, 
and  drj'  like  the  wilderness.  And  herds 
shall  he  down  in  the  midst  of  her,  all  the 
beasts  of  the  nations;  both  the  pelican  and 
the  porcupine  shall  lodge  in  the  chapiters 
thereof:  their  \o\ce  shall  ring  in  the  win- 
dows ;  desolation  shall  be  in  the  thresholds 
.  .  .  how  is  she  become  a  desolation,  a 
place  for  beasts  to  he  down  in  !  "  Zeph.  2  : 
11, 13, 14, 15.  These  prophecies  have  been 
literally  fulfilled.  The  city  was  destroyed  ; 
its  very  site  was  lost  and  unknown  for 'cen- 
turies; it  has  now  been  found,  its  ruins 
opened,  but  are  uninhabited  except  by 
wild  beasts. 

Nisrocli  (ms'rdch),  great  eagle  f  An  As- 
syrian deity  in  whose  temple  at  Nineveh 
Sennacherib  was  murdered  by  his  sons, 
Adrammelech  and  Sharezer.  2  Kings  19  : 
37 ;  Isa.  37 :  38. 

Niti-e.  Prov.  25 :  20.  This  is,  no  doubt, 
the  natron  found  abundantly  in  certain 
Egyptian  lakes,  50  miles  west  of  Cairo. 
The  Egj'ptians  use  it  in  bread  and  for  soap ; 
also,  it  is  said,  mixed  with  vinegar  as  a 
cure  for  toothache.  The  contrariety  be- 
tween these  two  ingredients  illustrates  the 
place  referred  to. 

Noah  {no' ah),  rest.  Gen.  6:8.  The  son 
of  Lamech  and  grandson  of  Methuselah. 
Noah  begat  three  sons,  Shem,  Ham,  and 
Japheth.  In  consequence  of  the  hopeless 
wickedness  of  the  world  at  this  time,  God 
resolved  to  destroy  it.  During  this  age  of 
almost  universal  apostasy  we  are  told  that 
Noah  was  a  righteous  man  and  perfect  in 
his  generations — i.  e.,  among  his  contempo- 
raries— and  that  he,  like  Enoch,  walked 
with  God.  Gen.  6:9.  Peter  calls  him  "a 
preacher  of  righteousness."  2  Pet.  2  :  5. 
He  had  three  sons,  each  of  whom  married 
a  wife  :  he  built  the  ark  in  accordance  with 
divine  direction;  and  was  600  years  old 
when  the  flood  came.  Gen.  6 :  7.  '  On  com- 
ing from  the  ark  he  built  an  altar,  made  an 
offering,  and  received  a  promise  that  the 
world  should  never  again  be  destroyed  by 
a  flood.  Gen.  8 :  20.  The  closing  history  in 
his  eventful  life  of  950  years  is  given  in 
li;6 


Gen.  9.  Noah  was  to  be  the  father  of  a 
new  race.  From  his  small  family  the  earth 
was  to  be  repeopled.  And  350  years  did  he 
hve  among  his  posterity,  a  monument  of 
God's  justice  and  Gods  faithfulness.  One 
more  incident  is  related  of  him.  Gen.  9; 
20-27.  He  planted  a  vine  and  drank,  knov/- 
ingly  or  not  we  cannot  say,  too  freely  of 
the  'fruit  of  it.  A  shameful  scene'  en- 
sued. But  the  patriarch  recovered,  and  in 
the  spirit  of  prophecy  predicted  happiness 
to  his  faithful  sons, 'judgment  to  the  un- 
godly. "Let  him  that  thinketh  he  stand- 
eth  take  heed  lest  he  fall."  The  days  of 
Noah  were  950  years  when  he  died. 

No-amon  (no-d'mon),  portio7i,  or,  temple 
of  Amon  f  A  large  and  most  important 
city  of  Egypt  Nah.  3  : 8-10.  This  city  w  as 
as  mighty  as  Nineveh ;  yet  judgment  and 
ultimate  desolation  were  threatened  against 
it.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  city  in- 
tended was  that  called  Thebes,  in  upper 
Egypt,  seated  on  both  banks  of  the  Nile, 
renowned  for  its  hundred  gates  and  vast 
poi>ulation,  and  as  being  the  principal  seat 
of  the  worship  of  the  god  Amon.  Some  of 
the  mightiest  Egyptian  dynasties  reigned 
at  Thebes,  and  enibeilished  it  with  crowds 
of  unrivalled  palaces  and  temples.  But 
the  voice  of  prophecy  proclaimed  that  it 
should  be  "  rent  asunder."  This  doom  be- 
gan to  be  fulfilled  first  by  the  Assyrians. 
See  Isa.  20.  It  is  evident' from  the  words 
of  Nahum  that  Thebes  fell  earlier  than 
Nineveh.  Nah.  1 : 1.  According  to  Sir  H. 
Rawhnson,  Esar-haddon  and  his  son  As- 
sur-bani-pal  both  conquered  Egypt,  and 
the  latter  took  Thebes  twice.  Cambyses, 
king  of  Persia,  ruthlessly  destroyed  it  and 
burnt  and  mutilated  its  remaining  monu 
ments;  and  its  ruin  was  completed  by 
Ptolemy  Lathyrus,  about  81  B.  c.  The  re- 
mains of  this  "vast  city,  which  appears  to 
have  been  quadrangular,  foi:r  miles  by  two, 
still  astonish  those  who  visit  them.  'They 
lie  260  miles  south  of  Cairo,  including  Kar- 
nak  and  Luxor.  Fragments  of  colossal 
obelisks,  pillars,  and  statues  are  scattered 
over  the  wide  space.  The  grand  hall  of 
the  temple  at  Karnak  is  described  as  "170 
feet  by  329,  supported  by  a  central  avenue 
of  twelve  massive  columns,  66  feet  high— 
without  the  pedestal  and  abacus— and  12 
in  diameter,  besides  122  of  smaller  or 
rather  less  gigantic  dimensions,  41  feet  9 
inches  in  height,  and  27  feet  6  inches  in 
circumference,  distributed  in  seven  lines 
on  either  side  of  the  fonner."  Pictured 
records  and  hieroglyphic  inscriptions 
abound  in  the  tera])les  and  the  tombs ; 
and  when  these  shall  be  fully  deciphered 
we  may  hope  for  much  additional  infor- 
mation" in  regard  to  Egyptian  history  and 
customs,  illustrating  and  corroborating  the 
sacred  books. 

Nob  {nob),  height,  hill.  A  city  in  Benja- 
min, on  the  great  road  from  the  north'  to 
Jerusalem,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  which  it  must  have  been ;  perhaps  on 
the  ridge  of  Olivet.  The  tabernacle  seems 
to  have  been  here  in  the  time  of  Saul,  who, 
for  the  alleged  favor  shown  by  the  high 
priest  Aliimelech  to  David,  destroyed  the 


NOD 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


OFFERING 


city,  which  was,  however,  afterwards  re- 
built. 1  Sam.  21 : 1 ;  22  :  9-19  ;  Neh.  11 :  32  ; 
Isa.  10 :  32. 

Nod  [nod),  flight.  The  region  eastward 
of  Eden,  to  which  Cain  lied  from  the  pres- 
ence of  Jehovah.  Gen.  4 :  11-16.  The  Chal- 
dee  interpreters  apply  the  term  to  Cain,  and 
not  to  a  land  :  "  He  dwelt  a  fugitive  in  the 
land." 

Noph.    See  Memphis. 

Numbers,  Book  of.  The  fourth  book 
I  of  Moses,  and  so  called  on  account  of  the 
two  censuses  to  which  it  refers.  It  gives 
some  detached  legal  enactments  and  many 
valuable  historical  facts.  In  the  first  divi- 
sion, chaps.  1-10  :  10,  an  account  Is  given 
of  the  preparations  for  the  departure  from 
Sinai.  In  chap.  6  we  have  the  description 
of  the  Nazirite's  vow.  The  second  division, 
chap.  10  :  11  to  chap.  14,  contains  an  account 
of  the  journey  from  Sinai  to  the  borders  of 
Canaan.  In  chaps.  13,  14,  the  spies  are 
mentioned  by  name,  and  a  most  interesting 
description  is  given  of  their  discoveries  in 
Canaan,  their  return  to  the  camp,  and  the 
treatment  they  received.  The  third  divi- 
sion, chaps.  15-19,  gives  various  legal  en- 
actments and  a  few  historical  facts.  The 
last  division,  chaps.  20-36,  contains  an  ac- 
count of  the  events  of  the  last  year  before 
crossing  the  Jordan.  In  chap.  20  we  have 
the  description  of  Moses  smiting  the  rock, 
and  the  notices  of  Miriam's  and  Aaron's 
deaths.  In  chap.  21  we  have  a  picture  of 
the  discontentment  and  rebellion  of  the 
Israelites,  their  punishment  through  fiery 
serpents,  and  the  simple  remedy  of  a  brazen 
serpent  erected  on  a  pole.  Comp.  John  3 : 
14,  15.  Chaps.  22-24  are  concerned  with 
Balaam.  In  chap.  32  the  land  east  of  the 
Jordan  is  assigned  to  Reuben  and  Gad,  and 
in  chap.  33  a  list  is  given  of  the  various 
stations  in  the  v/ilderness. 

Nuts.  Those  mentioned  in  Gen.  43  :  11 
are  doubtless  pistachio-nuts,  which  were 
produced  in  Syria,  but  not  in  Egypt.  An- 
other word  translated  "nuts"  in  Song  of 
Sol.  6  :  11  denotes  what  are  known  in  our 
markets  as  "English  walnuts,"  produced 
by  a  noble  tvee—Juglans  regia — ^which  is 
everywhere  cultivated  in  the  East. 

o 

Oak,  strong.  Gen.  35  : 4.  No  less  than 
six  Hebrew  words  are  represented  by  oak 
in  the  A.  V.  Sometimes,  evidently,  the 
terebinth,  elm,  or  teil  tree  is  intended ;  at 
-  others,  the  oak.  There  are  a  number  of 
'  varieties  of  oak  in  Palestine.  Hos.  4  :  13 ; 
Judg.  6  :  11 ;  Isa.  1 :  30 ;  Amos  2  :  9. 

Oath.  The  forms  of  solemn  dffirmation 
mentioned  in  Scripture  are :  1.  Lifting  up 
the  hand.  Witnesses  laid  their  hands  op 
the  head  of  the  accused.  Gen.  14  :  22 ;  Lev. 
24 :  14 ;  Deut.  17  :  7 ;  Isa.  3  :  7,  A.  V.,  but  the 
R.  V.  reads  "  he  shall  lift  iip  his  voice."  2. 
Putting  the  hand  under  the  thigh  of  the 
person  to  whom  the  promise  was  made. 
Gen.  24  :  2 ;  47  :  29.  3.  Oaths  were  some- 
times taken  before  the  altar,  or  by  an  ap- 
peal to  Jehovah;  "as the  Lordliveth."    2 


Kings  2  : 2.  Comp.  1  Kings  8  :  31 ;  2  Chron. 
6 :  22.  4.  Dividing  a  victin^  and  passing  be- 
tween or  distributing  the  pieces.  Gen.  15 : 
10,  17  ;  Jer.  34  :  18.  As  the  sanctity  of  oaths 
was  carefully  inculcated  by  the  law,  so  the 
crime  of  perjury  was  strongly  condemned ; 
and  to  a  false  witness  the  same  punishment 
was  assigned  which  was  due  for  the  crime 
to  -which  he  testified.  Ex.  20  :  7  ;  Lev.  19  : 
12.  The  New  Testament  has  prohibitions 
against  swearing.  Matt.  5  :  34-37  ;  Jas.  5 ; 
12.  It  cannot  be  supposed  that  it  was  in- 
tended by  these  to  censure  every  kind  of 
oath.  For  our  Lord  himself  made  solemn 
asseverations  equivalent  to  an  oath ;  and 
Paul  repeatedly,  in  his  inspired  epistles, 
calls  God  to  witness  the  truth  of  what  he 
was  saying.  The  intention  was,  as  Alford 
well  notes  upon  Matt.  5  :  34-37,  to  show 
"  that  the  proper  state  of  Christians  is  to 
require  no  oaths;  that,  when  evil  is  ex- 
pelled from  among  them,  every  yea  and 
nay  will  be  as  decisive  as  an  oath,  every 
promise  as  binding  as  a  vow." 

Obacliah  {6'ha-dVah  or  ob'a-dl'ah),  ser- 
vant of  Jehovah.  The  name  of  13  persons 
in  Scripture.  The  most  noted  of  these  were  : 

1.  The  officer  of  Ahab's  court  who  hid  150 
prophets  from  Jezebel.  2.  The  prophet 
whose  prophecy  is  placed  fourth  among 
the  minor  prophecies.  Absolutely  nothing 
is  known  of  his  life.  His  prophecy  was 
possibly  uttered  subsequently  to  b.  c.  588, 
as  we  draw  from  verse  11.  The  captivity 
of  this  verse  is  in  all  probability  that  by 
Nebuchadnezzar  in  b.  c.  588. 

Prophecy  of,  contains  a  general  accusa- 
tion of  Edom,  and  an  account  of  the  pros- 
perity of  Zion  when  Jacob  should  return 
from  his  captivity  and  Esau  be  discomfited. 
There  is  a  striking  resemblance  betw^een 
the  first  nine  verses  of  this  prophecy  and 
Jer.  49 :  7-16.  One  prophet  must  have  read 
the  other's  prophecy, 

O  b  e  d  -  e  d  o  m  {o'bed-e'dom)  servant  of 
Edom.  1.  A  Gittite  who  lived  in  David's 
time,  1  Chron.  13 :  13,  and  at  whose  house 
the  ark  w^as  left,  after  the  dreadful  death 
of  Uzzah.  2  Sam.  6  : 6-10.  The  blessing 
which  came  on  the  house  of  Obed-edom 
for  the  ark's  sake  encouraged  David  to 
remove  it  to  Jerusalem.    2  Sam.  6  :  10-12. 

2.  The  temple-treasurer  in  the  reign  of 
Amaziah.    2  Chron.  25 :  24. 

Oded  (o'ded),  erecting.  1.  The  father  of 
the  prophet  Azariah,  who  flourished  in 
Asa's  reign.  2  Chron.  15 : 1-8.  In  v.  8  Oded 
is  called  "prophet,"  where  probably  "the 
son"  is  meant.  2.  A  prophet  at  the  time 
of  Pekah's  invasion  of  Judah  who  pre- 
vailed upon  the  Aactorious  army  to  let  the 
captives  free.    2  Chron.  28  : 9-11. 

Oflfering,  Gen.  4  : 3,  Oblation,  Lev.  2  : 7. 
The  oiferings  in  Jewish  worship  w-ere  either 
bloody  or  bloodless,  or  animal  and  vege- 
table. Of  animals  only  tame  ones  were  used, 
as  oxen,  goats,  and  sheep,  and  the  dove. 
Lev.  5  :  11,  etc.  From  the  vegetable  king- 
dom, wane,  flour,  etc.,  were  set  apart.  Hu- 
man sacrifices  or  offerings  were  especially 
forbidden.  Lev.  18  :  21 ;  20 : 2.  The  first  of- 
ferings of  which  record  is  made  are  those 
of  Cain  and  Abel.  Gen.  4 : 3-8.  The  second 
167 


OG 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


OLIVES.  MOUNT  OT 


offering  is  that  of  Noah.  Gen.  8 :  20,  after 
the  Hood.  The  various  otierings  were  tiie 
burnt-offerings,  meat-offerings,  jjeaee-otter- 
ings,  and  tlie  sin  and  tresijass-otferings. 
The  burnt-ofl'ering  was  to  be  a  male  without 
bleiTiish,  of  the  herd  and  of  tlie  flock,  of- 
fered voluntarily  at  the  door  of  the  taber- 
nacle, the  hand  of  the  offerer  being  upon 
the  head  of  the  victim.  Lev.  1 :  2-4.  The 
design  of  the  burnt-offering  was  an  atone- 
ment for  sin.  Lev.  1:4;  comp.  Heb.  10  : 1-3, 
11.  It  was  presented  every  day,  Ex.  29  :  38- 
42,  on  the  Sabbath,  Num.  28 : 9,  10,  and  on 
the  great  day  of  atonement,  Lev.  16 : 3,  and 
the  three  great  festivals.  Num.  28 :  11-31 ; 
29.  The  meat-offering,  R.V.,  "meal-offer- 
ing," consisted  of  flour,  or  cakes,  prepared 
with  oil  and  frankincense.  Lev.  2:1;  6 : 
14-23.  It  Avas  to  be  free  from  leaven  and 
honey,  but  was  to  have  salt.  Lev.  2  :  11,  13. 
With  this  was  connected  the  drink-offering, 
which  was  never  used  separately,  but  \\as 
an  appendage  of  wine  to  some  sacrifices. 
Ex.  29  :  41.  A  meal-offering  was  presented 
every  day  with  the  burnt-offfering.  Ex.  29  : 
40,  41.  The  first-fruits,  offered  at  Pentecost, 
Lev.  23 :  17-20,  and  at  the  Passover,  Lev.  23 : 
10-14,  were  called  wave-offerings;  those 
offered  in  harvest-time.  Num.  15  :  20, 21, 
heave-offerings.  Peace-offerings  were  eu- 
charistic  in  their  nature,  and  were  offered 
in  thanksgiving  or  at  a  special  dedication 
of  something  to  the  Lord.  Lev.  3  ;  7  :  11-21. 
The  animal  as  well  as  the  vegetable  king- 
dom contributed  to  this  class  of  offerings. 
The  sin  and  trespass-offerings  were  expia- 
tory. They  included  an  ottering  for  the 
sins  of  ignorance.  Lev.  4  :  2.  There  are  sins 
that  are  "debts"  to  God,  more  numerous, 
it  may  be,  than  our  transgressions.  '  The 
prayer  the  Lord  taught  regards  sins  as 
"  debts."  IMatt.  6  :  12.  Our  thanksgivings 
now  are  to  be  offered  through  Christ,  and 
the  Hebrews  were  required  to  present  sacri- 
fices wath  their  thanksgivings.  Lev.  7  :  15. 
Sin-offerings  were  presented  by  the  high 
priest  for  personal  ottences,  for  national 
sins,  and  on  the  great  day  of  atonement, 
when  he  confessed  the  sins  of  the  wholo 
nation  with  his  hand  on  the  scapegoat's 
head,  and  the  goat  was  driven  oft'  into  the 
wilderness.  Lev.  16,  etc.  These  offerings 
all  had  a  typical  significance,  and  pre- 
figured the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ,  on 
whom  was  laid  the  iniquity  of  us  all,  and 
"  his  own  self  bare  our  sins  in  his  own  body 
on  the  tree."    1  Pet.  2  :  24. 

Og  {og)  long-necked  f  A  king  of  Bashan, 
of  gigantic  stature,  Deut.  3  :  11,  who  opposed 
the  passage  of  the  Israelites  through  his 
territories.  Deut.  3:1.  He  w^as  defeated  in 
a  pitched  battle  in  Edrei,  and,  together 
with  his  sons,  was  slain.  Deut.  1:4;  Num. 
21 :  33,  34.  His  sixty  fenced  and  walled 
cities  were  given  with  Bashan  and  all  his 
kingdom  to  the  half-tribe  of  Manasseh. 
Deut.  3 : 3, 4 ;  Num.  32 :  33.  He  was  a  giant. 
Josh.  13  :  12,  and  his  long  iron  bedstead  (?) 
(possibly  sarcophagus  of  black  Vjasalt),  was 
preserved  as  a  memorial  of  his  huge  sta- 
ture    Deut.  3:11. 

Oil.  The  Hebrews  used  olive  oil  as  but- 
ter and  as  a nimal  fat  is  used  with  us.  Deut. 
ir.8 


32  : 1 3 :  Job.  24 :  11 ;  Ezek.  16  :  IS.  In  some 
of  the  Hebrew  thank-offerings  oil  was 
taken  with  the  meat-offering.  Lev.  5  :  11 ; 
7  :  12  ;  Num.  5 :  15 ;  6  :  15 ;  Ex.  29  :  40.  Oil  was 
used  for  anointing  the  head  and  the  body  ; 
and  in  the  preparation  of  ointments.  Ex. 
30  :  24 ;  2  Sam.  14  :  2  ;  Ps.  23  :  5:  92 :  10  ;  104  : 
15 :  Prov.  21 :  17  :  Luke  7  : 4(3.  The  applic? 
tion  of  oil  for  medicinal  purposes  pre- 
vailed in  the  earliest  periods.  Isa.  1:6; 
Hos.  12  :  1 ;  Mark  6  :  13 ;  James  5  :  14.  15. 
OUve  oil  was  extensively  used  for  the  lamps 
in  the  tabernacle.  Ex.  27  :  20.  The  use  of 
oil  is  significant  of  gladness,  Ps.  141 :  5 ;  Isa. 
61 : 3,  and  the  omission  of  it  betokened  sor- 
row. 2  Sam.  14 : 2 ;  Matt.  6  :  17.  Oil  was 
also  the  symbol  of  abundance  and  festivity. 
Deut.  28  :  40 ;  Ezek.  27  :  17.  The  anointing 
with  oil  was  symbolical  of  the  unction  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  "Ps.  45  : 7 :  Zech.  4  :  14 :  Isa.  61 : 
1 ;  1  John  2 :  20. 

Old  Testament.    See  Scriptures. 

Olive,  Olive-Tree.  1  Kings  6:  23.  The 
olive,  olea  Europsea.  It  grows  plentifully 
almost  everywhere  near  the  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  is  abundant  in  Pales- 
tine. Deut.  6 ;  11 ;  8:8.  Olive  yards  are 
therefore  commonly  mentioned  as  a  consid- 
able  part  of  a  man's  property.  1  Sara.  8 : 
14  ;  1  Chron.  27  :  28.  This  tree  flourishes  in 
Syria,  in  warm  and  sunny  situations,  on  a 
rocky  soil,  at  a  height  not  greater  than 
about  3000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
It  increases  slowly  to  a  moderate  altitude 
of  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  with  a  knotty 
trunk,  and  numerous  extended  branches. 
The  leaves  grow  in  pairs,  of  a  pale  dusty 
color,  and  are  not  deciduous.  The  white 
flowers  appear  in  June  ;  and  the  fruit  is  an 
oblong  berry,  first  green,  and,  when  fully 
ripe,  a  blackish-purple.  The  wood  is  some- 
thing like  box,  but  softer,  with  dark  gray 
veins.  The  olive  tree  lives  to  a  great  age. 
With  an  olive  leaf  in  her  mouth  the  dove 
returned  to  Noah  when  the  waters  of  the 
flood  were  abated.  Gen.  8  :  11.  The  high 
estimation  in  which  the  olive  tree  was  held 
is  seen  by  its  being  placed  first  in  Jotham's 
parable.  Judg.  9  :  8,  9.  And .  it  is  often 
mentioned  as  indicating  plenty^  prosperity, 
and  strength  ;  the  allusion  taking  its  force 
from  the  products,  from  the  evergreen  char- 
acter, and  the  protracted  existence  of  the 
tree,  e.g.,  Ps.  52:8,  an  olive  being  often 
planted  in  the  court  of  a  building,  Ps.  128  : 
3,  young  shoots  springing,  from  an  old 
trunk  ;  Jer.  11 :  16 :  Hos.  14 : 6.  And  various 
apphcations  of  the  berries  are  referred  to, 
Deut.  24  :  20,  the  oil,  Lev.  24  : 2,  which  was 
an  article  of  commerce,  1  Kings  5  :  11,  and 
the  wood,  6  :  31-33. 

Olives,  the  Mount  of,  Olivet,  Mount. 
A  mountain  ridge  to  the  east  of  Jerusalem, 
from  which  it  is  separated  by  the  valley  of 
Jehoshaphat.  It  has  three  or  four  summits 
or  peaks.  The  mount  of  Olives,  called  also 
Olivet,  and  by  the  Arabs  at  ])resent  Jebei 
et-Tur.  a  name  they  give  to  elevated  sum- 
mits generally,  was  so  styled  from  the  olive 
trees  which  clothed  its  sides.  Some  of  these 
still  remain;  and  on  part  of  the  hill  are 
corn-fields;  and  in  a  few  half-cultivated 
gardens  are  fig  and   pomegranate   trees. 


OMEGA 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


OPHIR 


Olivet  is  mentioned  several  times  in  the 
v)ld  Testament.  Up  its  slopes  David,  fleeing 
from  Jerusalem  for  fear  of  Absalom,  went 
wearied  and  weeping.  Here  he  met  Hushai 
and  Ziba.  2  Sam.  1.5  :  30  ;  16:4.  It  is  also 
referred  to  by  Zechariah.  Zech.  14 : 4. 
From  Olivet  our  Lord  looked  down  upon 
Jerusalem  and  wept  bitter  tears  over  its  per- 
verseness.  Over  Olivet  he  passed  to  and  fro 
visiting  Bethany.  On  the  side  of  Olivet 
was  Gethsemane,  On  Olivet,  the  last 
charge  was  given  to  the  disciples  who  were 
thenceforth  to  build  up  the  Christian 
church,  and  from  its  top  Christ  ascended  to 
reign  till  every  enemy  shall  be  subdued  be- 
neath his  feet."  Matt.  24  : 3 ;  26  :  30 ;  Mark  11 : 
1-20  ;  13  :  3  ;  14  :  26;  Luke  19  :  29-44  ;  21 :  37  ; 
22  :  39 ;  John  8:1:  Acts  1  : 9-12.  Christ  did 
not  ascend  from  the  spot  where  now  stands 
the  church  of  the  Ascension  :  it  was  rather 
from  some  point  over  the  summit,  near 
to  Bethany.  Luke  24  :  50,  51.  The  views 
from  this  mount  in  different  directions  are 
extensive  ;  Jerusalem  on  one  side,  on  an- 
other there  are  the  dreary  hills  over  which 
the  road  passes  to  Jericho,  with  the  north- 
ern end  of  the  Dead  Sea  visible,  and  the 
mountains  of  Moab  beyond.  The  highest 
point  of  Olivet  is  2682  feet  above  the  sea- 
level. 

Omega  {o-me'gah,  or  o'me-gah).  The  last 
letter  in  the  Greek  alphabet.     See  Alpha. 

Omri  {dm'r'i),  pupil  of  Jehovah.  1.  1  Kings 
16  :  16.  A  general  of  the  Israehtish  aiTny, 
who  was  made  king  during  the  siege 
of  Gibbethon.  The  amiy  had  heard  that 
Zimri  had  assassinated  Elah  the  king, 
and  had  usurped  the  throne ;  instantly  the 
siege  was  raised,  they  forthwith  marched  to 
Tirzah,  where  Zimri  resided,  and  captured 
it.  The  Israelites  were  then  divided  into 
two  parties,  one  of  wliich  had  made  Tibni 
king  ;  but  after  a  struggle  of  about  six  years, 
Omri  prevailed,  and  took  the  throne,  which 
he  disgraced,  from  928-917  b.  c.  Omri,  who  is 
called  on  an  Assyrian  monument  Khumri, 
founded  Samaria,  wdiich  thenceforth  be- 
came the  capital  of  the  ten  tribes.  1  Kings 
16  :  16-30 ;  Micah  6 :  16.  2,  A  descendant  of 
Benjamin.  1  Chron.  7 : 8.  3.  A  descendant 
of  Judah.  1  Chron.  9:4.  4.  A  descendant 
of  Issachar.    1  Chron.  27  :  18. 

On  [on),  sun,  light.  A  noted  city  of  Lower 
Egypt,  Gen.  41 : 4.^,  50 ;  called  Beth-shemesh, 
or  "house  of  the  sun,"  Jer.  43  :  13, and 
known  to  the  Greeks  as  HeUopolis,  or  "  city 
of  the  sun."  Ezek.  30 :  17,  A.  V.,  margin. 
Some  suppose  it  to  be  referred  to  as  the 
"  city  of  destruction  "  in  Isa.  19  :  18,  19.  On 
was  situated  upon  the  Pelusiac  branch  of 
the  Nile,  about  20  miles  northeast  of  ancient 
Memphis,  and  6  miles  north  from  Cairo. 
The  origin  and  founder  of  On  are  unknown, 
but  it  has  an  obelisk  which  has  been  stand- 
ing about  4000  years.  It  has  been  consid- 
ered the  Rome  and  the  Athens  of  ancient 
Egypt,  the  centre  of  its  religion  and  learn- 
ing. In  it  stood  the  great  temple  of  Ra, 
with  one  exception  tne  most  famous  ancient 
shrine  in  Egypt,  its  companies  of  priests 
and  attendants  are  reputed  to  have  num- 
bered over  12,000.  The  legend  of  the  Avon- 
der-bird  Phoenix,  early  used  to  illustrate 


the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection,  arose 
here ;  to  this  city  Joseph,  delivered  from 
prison,  came  with  royal  honors  to  marry 
the  daughter  of  Potipherah,  "  dedicated 
to  Ra."  Josephus  reports  that  On  was  the 
home  of  Jacob  on  his  arrival  in  Egypt.  In 
its  grandeur  it  was  the  resort  of  men  of 
learning  from  all  countries.  In  its  schools 
and  universities  Moses,  according  to  Mane- 
tho,  was  instructed  in  all  the  learning  of 
the  Egyptians,  and  hither  came  Plato,  Eu- 
doxus,  and  Herodotus.  The  site  of  this 
once  famous  city  is  now  marked  with  a 
few  ruins  of  massive  walls,  fragments  of 
sphinxes,  a  noted  obelisk  of  red  granite  of 
Syene  (one  of  the  two  which  stood  before 
the  temple  of  the  Sun).  An  ObeUsk  from 
On  is  now  in  Kome,  another  on  the  Thames 
in  London,  one  in  Constantinople,  and 
one  in  Central  Park.  N.  Y.  The  obelisk, 
bearing  the  name  of  Usurtesen  I.,  and  ris- 
ing aniid  the  desolation  at  On,  is  66  feet 
high.     '2.  Name  of  a  person.    Num.  16:1. 

Oiiesiiniis  {p-n^s'i-mus),  useful.  A  slave 
of  Philemon,  in  whose  behalf  Paul  wrote 
the  Epistle  to  Philemon.    Col.  4 : 9. 

O  n  e  s  i  p  li  o  r  11  s  {dn'e-slf'o-rus),  profii- 
bringing.  A  primitive  Christian  who  min- 
istered to  the  wants  of  Paul  at  Ephesus, 
and  afterward  sought  him  out  at  Rome 
and  openly  sympathised  with  him.  2  Tim. 
1 :  16-18 ;  4  :  19. 

Ono  [o'no),  strong.  A  town  in  Benjamin 
and  reoccupied  after  the  captivitv.  1 
Chron.  8  :  12;  Ezra  2  :  33  ;  Neh.  7  :  37.  A 
plain  and  a  vallej^— the  two  perhaps  iden- 
tical—were connected  with  it.  Neh.  6:2; 
11 :  35 ;  1  Chron,  8  :  12.  It  is  named  with 
Lod,  and  may  be  a  few  miles  north  of 
Lvdda  (Lod). 

"Onyx.  Gen.  2 :  12 ;  Ex.  28  :  9,  20 ;  35 :  9, 
27 ;  1  Chron.  29  :  2 ;  Job  28  :  16 ;  Ezek.  28 : 
13.  Opinions  differ  as  to  the  gem  intended 
by  this  word;  some  prefer  translating  it 
"beryl."  The  onyx  has  its  particles  ar- 
ranged in  parallel  layers ;  white  alternat- 
ing with  blue,  gray, 'or  brown.  It  was 
much  used  by  the  ancients  for  cameos. 

Opliel  (o'fel),  hill,  swelling.  A  hill  of 
ancient  Jerusalem  and  fortified  bv  a  wall. 
2  Chron.  27  : 3 ;  33 :  14 ;  Neh.  3  :  26,  27  ;  11 : 
21,  but  it  is  now  outside  the  walls  of  the 
city.    See  Jerusalem. 

Opliir  {ij'fiv),  abundance.  1.  One  of  the 
sons  of  Joktan.  Gen.  10  :  29  ;  1  Chron.  1 : 
23.  2.  A  seaport  or  region  from  v/hich  the 
Hebrews  in  the  time  of  Solomon  obtained 
gold.  The  gold  was  proverbial  for  its  fine- 
ness, so  that  "gold  of  Ophir"  is  several 
times  used  as  an  expression  for  fine  gold,  1 
Chron.  29 : 4 ;  Job  28 :  16 ;  Ps.  45  :  9 :  Isa.  13 ; 
12 ;  and  in  one  passage,  Job  22 :  24,  the  word 
Ophir  by  itself  is  used  for  gold  of  Ophir, 
and  for  gold  generally.  In  addition  to  gold 
the  vessels  brought  from  Ophir  a Imug  wood 
and  precious  stones.  The  precise  situation 
of  Ophir  has  long  been  a  subject  of  discus- 
sion. It  is  safe  to  conclude  that  Ophir  was 
in  southern  Arabia,  upon  the  border  of  the 
Indian  Ocean ;  for  even  if  all  the  things 
brought  over  in  Solomon's  ships  are  not 
now  found  in  Arabia,  but  are  found  in  In 
169 


OPHRAH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


PALESTINE 


dia,  yet  there  is  evidence  that  they  once 
were  known  in  Arabia. 

Oplirah  {of 'rah),  female  fawn.  1.  A  town 
in  Benjamin  toward  which  an  invading 
company  of  Philistines  went.  Josh.  18 : 
23  ;  1  Sam.  13 :  17.  Some  suppose  it  is  iden- 
tical with  Ephrain  or  Ephron,  2  Chron.  13  : 
19,  and  with  the  city  of  Ephraim,  to  which 
our  Lord  retired  after  raising  Lazarus. 
John  11 :  54.  Eusebius  and  Jerome  located 
it  about  five  Roman  miles  east  of  Bethel. 
2.  Ophrah  of  the  Abi-ezerite.  Judg.  6  :  11, 
24.  This  was  the  place  where  Gideon  saw 
the  angel,  erected  an  altar,  and  where  he 
was  buried.  Judg.  8  :  27,  32.  Here  Abime- 
lech  slew  70  of  his  khidred,  and  the  town 
appears  to  have  been  near  Shechem,  in  the 
territory  of  Manasseh.  Judg.  9:1,  5,  6,  15. 
The  Palestine  Memoirs  suggest  as  its  site 
the  village  of  Ferata,  near  Shechem. 

Oreb  [q'reh),  raven.  The  "  rock  of  Oreb  " 
was  named  after  Oreb,  one  of  the  princes 
of  Midian,  whom  the  men  of  Ephraim 
sleAV.  Judg.  7  :  25 ;  Isa.  10  :  26.  Reland  and 
others  would  locate  Oreb  east  of  the  Jor- 
dan and  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bethshean, 
at  a  place  called  Orbo. 

Organ.  Gen.  4  :  21,  A.  V.,  "  pipe,"  R.  V., 
meaning  a  wind  instrument  of  music,  like 
a  flute  or  clarionet. 

Orion  {o-ri'on).  A  constellation  of  about 
80  stars,  south  of  Taurus,  and,  partly,  of 
the  equator.  Job  9 : 9.  The  constellation 
is  also  mentioned  in  Job  38 :  31  and  Amos 
5:8. 

Ossifrage  {os'sifrage),  bone-breaker. 
Lev.  11 :  13;  the  "gier-eagie,'"  R.  V. 

Ostrich.  Job  30  :  29 ;  Isa.  13  :  21 ',  34  : 
13 ;  Jer.  50  :  39 ;  Micah  1:8;  Lam.  4  :  3.  The 
largest  of  the  feathered  tribe,  exceedingly 
swift,  employing  its  wings  which  are  use- 
less for  flight  to  aid  it  in  running.  It  is 
voracious,  and  will  swallow  any  hard  sub- 
stance, as  stones  or  metal :  but  these  are  to 
assist  the  action  of  the  gizzard.  Sometimes, 
however,  it  is  said  that  its  indiscriminating 
appetite  proves  fatal  to  it.  Several  female 
ostriches  lay  their  eggs  in  a  single  nest,  a 
mere  shallow  hole  in  the  sand,  and  then 
carefully  cover  them.  In  very  hot  climates 
the  sun's  heat  on  them  is  sufficient  in  the 
daytime  without  incubation  by  the  parent 
birds  ;  but  in  less  sultry  regions  both  male 
and  female  are  said  to  sit  upon  the  eggs. 
There  are  also  other  eggs  scattered  near 
which  are  apparently  neglected,  but  are 
really  designed  for  the  food  of  the  young 
birds"  when  hatched.  These  habits  are  the 
result  of  the  instinct  with  which  the  Deity 
has  endowed  the  ostrich;  but  some  of 
them  are  so  strange  as  to  have  given  rise  to 
an  Arabian  proverb,  "As  foolish  as  an  os- 
trich." And  this  is  sufficient  to  justify  the 
statement  in  the  book  of  Job.  Scripture 
must,  of  course,  be  composed  in  popular 
language;  and  the  meaning  here  is  evi- 
dently not  that  the  bird  is  through  stupid- 
ity unfaithful  to  its  instinct,  but  that  that 
instinct  is  of  a  kind  which  seems  to  imply 
v>'ant  of  forethought  and  natural  care. 

Othniel  {dth'ni-el),  lion  of  God.  The  suc- 
cessor of  Joshua.  He  was  the  son  of  Kenaz, 
the  younger  brother  of  Caleb,  of  the  tribe 
'  170 


of  Judah  ;  and  for  his  valor  m  seizing  the 
city  of  Debir,  he  was  rewarded  by  the  gift 
of  Achsah,  the  daughter  of  Caleb,  in  mar- 
riage. He  delivered  the  Hebrews  from  the 
bondage  in  which  they  had  been  held  for 
eight  years  by  the  Mesopotamians,  and 
during  the  40  years  of  his  administration 
the  Hebrews  remained  faithful  to  Jehovah. 
Josh.  15:16-19;  Judg.  1:11-15;  3:8-11;  1 
Chron.  4 :  13. 

Ouches.  The  Hebrew  word  mishbetzoth, 
rendered  ouches,  signifies  settings,  bezels 
in  which  gems  are  set,  hence  the  sockets 
for  fastening  the  precious  stones  in  the 
shoulder-pieces  of  the  high  priest's  ephod. 
Ex.  28:11,14,  25;  39.13-16. 

Oven.  The  Eastern  oven  is  of  two 
kinds— fixed  and  portable.  The  fonner  is 
found  only  in  towns,  where  regular  bakers 
are  employed.  Hos.  7  : 4.  The  latter  is 
adapted  to  the  nomad  state.  It  consists  of 
a  large  jar  made  of  clay,  about  three  feet 
high  and  widening  toward  the  bottom, 
with  a  hole  for  the  extraction  of  the  ashes. 
Each  household  possessed  such  an  article, 
Ex.  8:3;  and  it  was  only  in  times  of  ex- 
treme dearth  that  the  same  oven  sufficed 
for  several  families.  Lev.  26 :  26.  It  was 
heated  with  dry  twigs  and  grass.  Matt.  6  : 
30,  and  the  loaves  were  placed  both  inside 
and  outside  of  it. 


Padan-aram  {pd'dan-d'ram),  the  low 
highland,  where  Abraham  got  a  wife  for 
his  son  Isaac,  Gen.  25  :  20 ;  28  :  2,  5,  7,  and 
Jacob  found  his  wives,  and  where  Laban 
hved.  Gen.  31  :  18 ;  33  :  18 ;  35 :  9,  26  ;  46  : 
15.  It  is  the  region  between  the  two  great 
rivers  Euphrates  and  Tigris. 

Palestine  {pal'es-t'me),land  of  sojourners. 
Joel  3:4;  comp.  Ex.  15  :  14 ;  Isa.  14  :  29,  31. 
A  small  countrj'  east  of  the  Mediterranean 
Sea,  sacred  alike  to  Jew,  Mohammedan, 
and  Christian.  In  length  it  is  about  140 
miles,  in  average  breadth  not  more  than 
40  between  the  Mediterranean  westward, 
and  the  deep  Jordan  valley  to  the  east, 
while  to  the  north  it  is  closed  in  by  Leba- 
non and  Anti-Ubanus,  and  bordered  on  the 
south  by  the  desert.  It  lay  on  the  direct 
route  between  the  great  ancient  empires  of 
Asia  and  northern  Africa,  and  exposed  to 
peril  from  both.  The  physical  structure  of 
Palestine  is  peculiar.  It  is  mountainous, 
but  among  these  mountains  are  plains  and 
valleys  and  torrent-beds.  The  mountain 
mass' which  occupies  the  central  part  is 
bordered  on  each  side  east  and  west  by  a 
lowland  belt.  On  the  west  the  plains  of 
Philistia  and  Sharon  he  between  the  Medi- 
terranean and  the  hills,  interrupted  by  a 
ridge  which,  shooting  out  from  the  main 
highlands,  terminates  in  the  bold  promon- 
tory of  Carmel.  To  the  north  of  this  ridge 
the  low  plain  widens  and  extends  in  one 
part  its  undulating  surface  quite  across  the 
country  to  the  Jordan.  And  still  farther 
to  the  north  is  Phtenicia  with  headlands 
down  to  the  sea.  The  eastern  depression 
is  most  remarkable.    It  is  a  deep  cleft  in 


PALM,  PALM  TREE 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


PARTHIANS 


which  he  a  chain  of  lakes  connected  by 
the  Jordan.  And  the  bottom  of  this  cleft 
is,  in  its  lower  part,  far  below  (1300  feet) 
the  level  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Owing 
to  this  extraordinary  depression,  the  slopes 
on  the  eastern  side  of  the  central  elevated 
land  are  much  more  abrupt  and  rugged 
than  on  the  west.  The  southern  hill  coun- 
try is  dry  and  bare.  There  is  little  wood  ; 
it  is  near  upon  the  desert,  and  possesses 
few  springs  of  water.  The  hill  tops  are 
rounded  and  monotonous— the  eastern  part 
of  the  tract  being  but  an  arid  wilderness. 
And  a  noteworthy  feature  in  these  hills  is 
the  abundance  of  caverns,  partly  natural, 
partly,  perhaps,  artificial.  Northward  the 
country  improves.  There  are  more  fertile 
plains  winding  among  the  lulls,  more  veg- 
etation and  more  ■wood,  till  in  the  north 
the  swelling  hills  are  clothed  with  beauti- 
ful trees,  and  the  scenery  is  pleasirfg,  often- 
times romantic.  In  central  and  north 
Palestine,  too,  there  are  gushing  fountains 
of  water,  imparting  fertility  to  the  valleys 
through  which  they  pour  their  streams. 
The  Philistine  plain  is  one  vast  grainfield, 
jdelding  the  most  abundant  increase.  And 
dry  and  barren  as  are  many  of  the  hills  at 
present,  there  is  evidence  enough  that  in 
earlier  happier  days  they  were  terraced, 
wooded,  and  productive:  "a  good  land,  a 
land  of  brooks  of  v.ater,  of  fountains  and 
depths  that  spring  out  of  valleys  and  hills ; 
a  land  of  wheat,  and  barley,  and  vines, 
and  fig  trees,  and  pomegranates ;  a  land 
of  oil  olive  and  honey  ...  a  land  whose 
stones  are  iron,  and  out  of  whose  hills  thou 
mayest  dig  brass."  Deut.  8  :  7-9.  Palestine 
was  early  inhabited  by  seven  tribes— as,  Hlt- 
tites,  Gergashites,  Amorites,  Canaanites, 
Perizzites,  Hivites,  and  Jebusites,  Deut.  7  : 
1 ;  and  other  tribes  are  also  noted  as  occu- 
pying adjacent  regions.  Gen.  10  :  15-19 ; 
15 :  18-21 ;  Num.  13 :  28,  29.  It  became  after- 
wards the  land  of  Israel ;  but,  when  judg- 
ment fell  upon  the  Hebrews  for  their  sins, 
they  were  removed,  and  there  was  at  dif- 
ferent times  a  large  influx  of  foreign  popu- 
lation, eastern  nations,  2  Kings  17 :  24 ;  Ezra 
4 : 9,  10,  Greeks,  etc. ;  so  that  even  in  our 
Lord's  time  the  inhabitants  of  Palestine 
were  of  a  mixed  character ;  and  in  later 
ages  additional  foreign  elements  were  in- 
troduced.   See  Jutlaea,  Galilee. 

Palm,  Palm  Tree.  Ex.  15  :  27;  Lev. 
23  :  40 ;  Deut.  34 : 3.  There  are  several  hun- 
dred species  of  palm ;  but  the  Phcenix  dac- 
tylifera,  or  date-palm,  is  that  which,  grow- 
ing in  Palestine,  is  often  referred  to  in 
Scripture.  Its  fruit  furnishes  a  considera- 
ble part  of  subsistence  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Egypt,  Persia,  and  Arabia.  A  conserve 
is  also  made  of  it  with  sugar;  while  the 
stones  are  ground  in  the  handmills  for  the 
food  of  camels.  Baskets,  bags,  mats,  etc., 
are  manufactured  of  the  leaves  ;  the  trunk 
is  spht  up,  and  is  serviceable  in  various 
ways;  the  weblike  integuments  at  the 
bases  of  the  leaves  are  twisted  into  ropes : 
the  sap  is  collected,  and  is  at  first  a  sweet- 
ish mild  beverage,  but  afterwards  ferments, 
and  a  kind  of  arrack  is  produced  from  it 
by  distillation.    Every  part,  therefore,  of 


the  tree  has  its  use.  The  names  of  many 
places  show  that  palms  Vvcre  abundant: 
Ehm,  Elath,  Hazezon-lamar— '-felhng  of 
palm  tree  '  —Gen.  14  :  6  ;  Bethany,  "  house 
of  dates."    John  11 : 1 ;  12 :  13. 

Palmer-worm.  Heb.  gdzdm.  Joel  1 : 
4  ;  2  :  25  ;  Amos  4  :  9.  Probably  some  spe- 
cies of  locust  or  caterpillar  is  intended. 

Palsy.  Matt.  4  :  24 ;  8  :  G ;  Luke  6  : 6.  The 
loss  of  sensation  or  power  of  motion  in  any 
part  of  the  body.  A  hand  thus  affected  was 
called  "a  withered  hand."  Matt.  12  ;  10-13. 
Several  palsied  or  paralytic  persons  were 
cured  by  Jesus.  Matt.  4  :  24  ;  8 :  13 ;  John  5 : 
5-7. 

Pamphylia  {pam-fil'i-ah),  of  every  tribe, 
A  Roman  province  in  the  south  of  Asia 
Minor.  It  was  in  Pamphylia  that  Paul  first 
entered  Asia  Minor,  after  preaclring  the 
gospel  in  Cypras.    Acts  13 :  13 ;  14  :  24 ;  27  : 5. 

Pamiag.  Ezek.  27  :  17.  Some  kind  of 
spice  or  millet,  or  "  perhaps  a  kind  of  con- 
fection," R.  V.  margin. 

Paplios  (pd'foa),  boiling,  or  hot.  Acts  13 : 
6.  A  town  at  the  west  end  of  the  island  of 
Cyprus.  It  was  founded  b.  c.  1184.  Paul 
and  Barnabas  travelled,  on  their  first  mis- 
sionary tour,  '-through  the  isle,"  from  Ra- 
phes to  Salamis.  Acts  13  : 6.  Raphes  was 
given  to  the  worship  of  Aphrodite  or  Venus, 
who  was  fabled  to  have  here  risen  from  the 
sea. 

Parable  (from  a  Greek  word  signifying 
comparison)  is  used  in  the  Bible  in  both 
the  wide  and  a  narrow  sense.  In  the  first 
case  it  comprises  all  forms  of  teaching  by 
analogy,  and  all  forms  of  figurative  speech, 
and  is  applied  to  metaphors,  whether  ex- 
panded into  narratives,  Ezek.  12  :  22,  or  not. 
Matt.  24  :  32  ;  to  proverbs  and  other  short 
sayings,  1  Sam.  10  :  12  ;  24  ;  13 ;  2  Chron.  7 : 
20 ;  Luke  4 :  23 ;  to  dark  utterances  or  signs 
of  prophetic  or  svmbolical  meaning.  Num. 
23  :  17, 18  ;  24  : 3 ;  Ezek.  20 :  49 ;  Heb.  9 : 9,  etc. 
In  the  second  case  it  means  a  short  narra- 
tive of  some  every-day  event,  by  which 
some  great  spiritual  truth  is  conveyed  to  the 
hearer.  For  Ust  of  parables  of  Christ  see 
Appendix. 

Paraii,  El-paran  (pd'ran),  place  of  caV' 
erns.  A  desert  or  wilderness  south  of  Pales- 
tine, and  near  the  wilderness  of  Ethara, 
which  separated  it  from  the  Gulf  of  Suez 
and  Egypt.  Paran  is  named  in  connection 
with  the  invasion  of  the  confederate  kings, 
Gen.  14  :  6,  and  in  the  storj^  of  Hagar,  Gen. 
21 :  21.  In  the  detailed  itinerary  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  Num.  33,  many  stations  in  Pa- 
ran  are  recorded,  Num.  33 :  17-49,  and  prob- 
ably all  the  eighteen  stations  there  men- 
tioned between  Hazeroth  and  Kadesh  were 
in  Paran.  Through  this  veiy  wide  wilder- 
ness, from  pasture  to  pasture,  as  do  modern 
Arab  tribes,  the  Israelites  wandered  in  ir- 
regular lines  of  march. 

Partliians  {pdr'thi-anz).  Acts  2 : 9.  The 
inhabitants  of  Parthia.  It  lay  east  of  Me- 
dia. Parthia  was  raised  into  a  distinct 
kingdom  by  Arsaces,  b.  c.  25t).  It  soon  ex- 
tended itself  over  a  great  part  of  the  ancient 
Persian  empire.  The  Parthians  were  es- 
teemed the  most  expert  horsemen  and  arch- 
ers in  the  world :   and  their  skill  in  dis- 


PAS-DAMMIM 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


PAUL 


charging  arrows  while  in  full  flight  is  fre- 
quently celebrated  by  Roman  poets. 

Pas-damraini  (phs'dam'inim),  boundary 
of  blood.  The  scene  of  fierce  contests  be- 
tween the  Israelites  and  the  Philistines.  1 
Chron.  11  :13.  It  is  called  Ephes-dammim 
in  1  Sam.  17  : 1 ;  perhaps  Daniinn,  about  11 
miles  southwest  of  Jerusalem. 

Passover,  the  principal  annual  feast  of 
the  Jews.    Comp.  1  Cor.  5  : 7,  8.    It  was  ap- 
pointed   to   commemorate   the    "  passnig 
over"  of  the  families  of  the  Israelites  when 
the  destroying  angel  smote  the  tirst-born  of 
Egj'pt,  and  also  their  departure  from  the 
land  of  bondage.  Ex.  12.  At  even  of  the  14th 
day  of  the  first  month  (Nisan)  the  Passover 
Ava's  to  be  celebrated,  and  on  the  15th  day 
commenced  the  seven  days'  feast  of  unleav- 
ened bread.  The  term  "  Passover  "  is  strictly 
applicable  only  to  the  meal  of  the  paschal 
lamb,   and  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread 
was  celebrated  on  the  15th   onw^ard   for 
seven  days   to    the  21st  inclusive.     This 
order  is  recognized  in  Josh.  5 :  10, 11.    But 
in  the  sacred  history  the  term  "Passover" 
is  used  also  to  denote  the  whole  period— the 
14th  dav,  and  the  festival  of  the  seven  days 
following.     Luke  2  :  41  ;  John  2  :  13,  23 ;  G  : 
4 ;  11 :  55.    As  to  the  time  of  the  celebration 
of  the  Passover,  it  is  ex])ressly  appointed 
"  between  the  two  evenings,"  Ex.  12 :  6  ; 
Lev.  23  : 5 ;  Num.  9  : 3,  5,  or,  as  it  is  else- 
where expressed,  "at  even,  at  the  going 
down  of  the  sun."     Dent.  IG  :  G.    This  is 
supposed  to  denote  the  commencement  of 
the  15th  day  of  Nisan,  or  at  the  moment 
when  the  14th  day  closed  and  the  15th  be- 
gan.    The   twenty-four    hours,    reckoned 
from  this  point  of  time  to  the  same  period  of 
the  next  day,  or  15th,  was  the  day  of  the 
Passover.  At  sunset  of  the  14th  day  the  15th 
began,  and  with  it  the  feast  of  unleavened 
bread.    The  lamb  was  to  be  selected  on  the 
10th  day,  and  kept  till  the  14th  day,  in  the 
evening  of  which  dav  it  was  to  be  killed. 
Ex.  12  : 3-6.    The  feast  began  by  the  hand- 
ing around  of  a  cup  of  wine  mixed  with 
water  ;  over  which  the  head  of  the  family 
or  the  chief  of  the  association  yjronounced 
the  benediction.    The  lamb,  roasted  whole, 
and  the  other  dishes  were  then  placed  on 
the  table,  and  after  a  second  cup  of  wine 
the  meal  was  eaten.     Everybody  present 
partook  of  the  lamb,  the  bitter  herbs,  and 
the  unleavened  bread,  and  care  was  taken 
that  no  bone  was  broken.    What  was  left 
of  the  flesh  was  immediately  burnt.    After 
the  meal  followed  the  third  cup  of  wine, 
then  the  singing  of  psalms  and  hymns,  and 
finally  a  fourth,  and  perhaps  a  fifth,  cup  of 
wine.    Then  followed  the  feast  of  unleav- 
ened bread,  occupying  seven  days,  the  first 
and  last  of  which  were  peculiarly  holy, 
like  the  Sabbath.    Ex.  12  :  15,  16.    That  the 
Passover  was  a  type   of  the  sacrifice  of 
Christ  is  clearly  shown  by  Christ  himself, 
where  he  says,  "With  desire  I  have  desired 
to  eat  this  passover  with  you  before  I  suffer : 
For  I  say  unto  vou,  I  will  not  any  more  eat 
thereof,  until  it  be  fulfilled  in  the  king- 
dom of  God."    Luke  22  :  15,  16.    He  at  that 
time  instituted  what  is  called  the  Lord's 
Supper  to   commemorate  his  death   and 
172 


which  since  then  has  taken  the  place  of 
the  Passover  in  his  church. 

Pastors  {shepherds).  This  word  occurs 
but  once  in  the  New  Testament.  Eph.  4 : 
11.  In  all  other  places  where  the  Greek 
word  occure  it  is  translated  shepherd,  and 
shepherds.  It  is  often  applied  to  Christ  a? 
the  Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  our  souls. 
John  10  :  11 :  1  Pet.  2  :  25.  It  refers  to  the  el- 
ders of  the  church,  who  are  to  "  feed  (shep- 
herd) the  flock  of  God  w-hich  is  among  you, 
taking  the  oversight  thereof."  1  Pet.  5  : 1, 2 ; . 
Acts  20 :  28. 

Patara  (pat'a-rah),  a  seaport  town  on 
the  southwest  shore  of  Lycia,  near  the  left 
bank  of  Xanthus,  and  'opposite  Rhodes. 
Acts  21 : 1,  2.  It  was  about  seven  miles  east 
of  the  mouth  of  the  river,  had  a  conve- 
nient harbor,  and  was  visited  by  ships  of 
all  nations.  The  gospel  was  early  preached 
there.  The  city  was  given  up  to  the  wor- 
ship of  Apollo,  its  founder,  Patarus,  being 
reputed  to  be  a  son  of  that  god.  Patara  is 
now  in  ruins,  but  retains  its  ancient  name. 
Pathros  (pCith'ros),  region  of  thesoidh.  A 
district  of  Egypt  near  Thebes.  The  country 
is  mentioned  in  the  Prophets,  and  nearly 
alwavs  in  connection  with  Egvpt.  Isa.  11 ; 
11 ;  Jer.  44  : 1-15 ;  Ezek.  29  :  14.  Its  inhabi- 
tants were  known  as  the  Pathrusim,  the 
descendants  of  Ham  through  Mizraim. 
Gen.  10  :  14 ;  1  Chron.  1 :  12. 

Patmos  (pat'mos).  Rev.  1:9.  A  little 
rugged  island  in  the  JEgean  Sea,  24  miles 
west  of  Asia  Minor.  It  is  from  15  to  25 
miles  in  circumference,  and  is  very  rocky 
and  barren.  The  barrenness  of  the  island 
made  it  a  suitable  spot  for  the  banishment 
of  Roman  criminals.  To  it  the  apostle 
John  was  banished  by  the  emperor  Domit- 
ian,  A.  V.  95.  Its  rocky  solitude  well  suited 
the  subhme  nature  of  the  Revelation. 

Paul  (pawl),  small.  Originally  named 
Saul ;  first  called  i'aul  in  Acts  13 ;  9.  He  was 
a  Jew  of  pure  Hebrew  descent,  of  the  tribe 
of  Benjamin,  circumcised  according  to  the 
law  when  eight  days  old,  born  at  Tar- 
sus in  Cihcia,  and  by  birth  a  free  Roman 
citizen.  Acts  22  :  28.  He  was  taught,  ac- 
cording to  Jewish  custom,  a  trade,  that  of 
tentmaker  —  ?'.  e.,  the  mantifacturing  of 
goats'  hair  cloth,  commonly  used  for  tents. 
But  he  was  early  sent  to  Jerusalem,  where 
he  was  trained  under  the  famous  Gama- 
liel. Acts  21  :  39 :  22  :  3,  27,  28 ;  Phil.  3  :  5. 
Of  his  family  Ave  know  nothing,  save  that 
he  had  a  nephew,  who  detected  a  conspi- 
racv  against  his  life.  Acts  23  :  lG-22.  He 
was  a  fierce  defender  of  Judaism  and  a 
bitter  enemy  of  Christianity.  Acts  8:3; 
26  :  9-11.  Of  his  miraculous  conversion, 
we  have  three  accounts— Acts,  chaps.  9,  22, 
26.  Christ  revealed  himself  to  him  near 
and  at  Damascus.  Acts  26 :  15 ;  1  Cor.  15  : 
8.  His  advocacy  of  Jesus  as  the  Jewish 
Messiah  exposed  him  everywhere  to  the 
hatred  and  malice  of  his  countrymen.  He 
made  three  missionary  tours,  preaching 
Christ  and  planting  churches  in  Asia  Mi- 
nor, Macedonia,  and  Greece,  and  making 
several  visits  to  Jerusalem,  narrated  in  the 
Acts.  He  was  accused  by  the  rulers  of  the 
.  Jews,  arrested  at  Jerusalem  by  the  Roman 


PEKAH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


PEKAHIAH 


officers,  and  after  being  detained  for  two 
years  or  more  at  Caesarea,  he  was  sent  to 
Rome  for  trial,  having  himself  appealed  to 
Ccesar.  It  is  quite  probable,  as  Christians 
believed  in  the  earher  centuries,  that  the 
apostle  was  acquitted  and  discharged  from 
his  first  imprisonment  in  Rome  at  the  end 
of  two  years,  and  that  he  afterwards  re- 
turned to  Rome,  where  he  was  again  impris- 
oned and  put  to  deatli  by  Nero.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  summary  of  the  cliief  events  in 
the  life  of  Paul,  taken  from  Schaff's  DiC' 
tionary  of  the  Bible : 

A.  I). 

Paul's  conversion 37 

Sojourn  in  Arabia 37-40 

First  journey  to  Jerusalem  after  his 
conversion.  Gal.  1 :  18 ;  sojourn  at 
Tarsus,  and  afterward  at  Antioch. 
Acts  11  :  26 40 

Second  journey  to  Jerusalem,  in  com- 
pany with  Barnabas,  to  relieve  the 
famine 44 

Paul's  lirst  great  missionary  journey, 
with  Barnabas  and  Mark ;  Cyprus, 
Antioch  in  Pisidia,  Iconium.Lystra, 
Derbe  ;  return  to  Antioch  in  Syria..  45-49 

Apostolic  Council  at  Jerusalem ;  con- 
flict between  Jewish  and  Gentile 
Christianity ;  Paul's  third  journey 
to  Jerusalem,  with  Barnabas  and 
Titus ;  settlement  of  the  difficulty ; 
agreement  between  the  Jewish  and 
Gentile  apostles;  Paul's  return  to 
Antioch  ;  his  difference  with  Peter 
and  Barnabas  at  Antioch,  and  tem- 
porary separation  from  the  latter ...       50 

Paul's  second  missionary  journey 
from  Antioch  to  Asia  Minor,  Cili- 
cia,  Lycaonia,  Galatia,  Troas,  and 
Greece  (Philippi,  Thessalonica,  Be- 
raia,  Athens,  and  Corinth).  From 
this  tour  dates  the  Christianization 
of  Europe 51 

Paul  at  Corinth  (a  year  and  a  half). 
First  and  Second  Epistles  to  the 
Thessalonians 52-53 

Paul's  fourth  journey  to  Jerusalem 
(spring) ;  short  stay  at  Antioch.  His 
third  missionary  tour  (autumn) 54 

Paiil  at  Ephesus  (three  years) ;  Epis- 
tle to  the  Galatians  (56  or  57).  Ex- 
cursion to  Macedonia,  Corinth,  and 
Crete  (not  mentioned  in  the  Acts) ; 
First  Epistle  to  Timothy  (?).  Return 
to  Ephesus.  Fir.st  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  (spring,  57) 54-57 

Paul's  departure  from  Ephesus  (sum- 
mer) to  Macedonia.  Second  Epistle 
to  the  Corinthians 57 

I'Liul's  third  sojourn  at  Corinth  (three 
months).    Epistle  to  the  Romans...  57,  58 

Paul's  fifth  and  last  journey  to  Jeru- 
salem (spring),  where  he  is  arrested 
and  sent  to  Csesarea , 58 

Paul's  captivity  at  Csesarea.  Testi- 
mony before  Felix,  Festus,  and 
Agrippa  (the  Gospel  of  Luke  and 
the  Acts  commenced  at  Csesarea, 
and  concluded  at  Rome) 58-60 

Paul's  voyage  to  Rome  (autumn)  ; 
shipwreck  at  Malta ;  arrival  at 
Rome  (spring,  61) 60,61 


Paul's  first  captivity  at  Rome,  Epis- 
tles to  the  Colo.ssians,  Ephesians, 
Pliilippians,  Philemoii 61-63 

Conflagration  at  Rome  (July)  ;  Nero- 
nian  persecution  of  the  Christians ; 
martyrdom  of  Paul  (?) 64 

Hypothesis  of  a  second  Roman  cap-  • 
tivity   and   preceding    missionary 
journeys  to  the  East,  and  possibly 
to  Spain.    First  Epistle  to  Timothy ; 
Titus  (Hebrews?),  Second  Timothy,  63-67 

The  epistles  of  Paul  are  13,  or,  if  we 
count  the  Hebrews,  14  in  number.  They 
are  inspired  tracts  for  the  times,  and  for  all 
times.    They  may  be  arranged  : 

1.  Chronologically: 

1  and  2  Thessalonians,  written  a.  d.  52,  53, 
from  Corinth. 

Galatians,  written  a.  d.  56-57,  from  Ephe- 
sus. 

1  Corinthians,  written  a.  d.  57,  from  Ephe- 
sus. 

2  Corinthians,  written  A.  d.  57,  from  Mace- 
donia. 

Romans,  written  A.  d.  58,  from  Corinth. 
Colossians,    Ephesians,    Pliilippians,    and 
Philemon,  written  A.  d.  61-63,  from  Rome. 
Hebrews,  written  A.  d.  64  (?),  from  Italy. 

1  Timothy  and  Titus,  written  a.  d.  65  or 
57  (?)  *,  from  Macedonia. 

2  Timothy,  written  a.  d.  67  or  64  (?)  *,  from 
Rome. 

*The  time  of  the  composition  of  the  Pas- 
toral Epistles  depends  upon  the  question  of 
the  second  Roman  captivity.  The  Second 
Epistle  to  Timothy  was  at*  all  events  the 
last,  whether  written  in  the  first  or  second 
captivity. 

2.  Topically: 

Romans  and  Galatians :   doctrines  of  sin 

and  grace. 
1  and  2  Corinthians :  moral  and  practical 

questions. 
Colossians   and   Philippians :     person   of 

Christ. 
Ephesians :  the  Church  of  Christ. 
1  and  2  Thessalonians  :  the  second  advent.' 

1  and  2  Timothy  and  Titus :  church  gov- 
ernment and  i^astoral  care. 

Philemon :  slavery. 

Hebrews  :  the  eternal  priesthood  and  sacri- 
fice of  Christ. 

Pekali  (pe'kafi),  open-eyed.  2  Kings  15 : 
25.  The  son  of  Remaliah,  a  captain  in  Pe- 
kahiah's  army  who  conspired  against  his 
master,  slew  him,  and  reigned  over  Sama- 
ria in  his  stead  for  20  years  (758-738  B.  c). 
His  conduct  was  evil ,'  he  maintained  the 
sinful  worship  set  up  by  Jeroboam  I.  He  was 
slain  by  conspirators  headed  by  Hoshea, 
who  afterwards  obtained  the  crown.  2 
Kings  15:25-38;  16:1-9;  2  Chron.  28:6; 
Isa.  7:1-16;  8:6. 

Pekahiah.  Jehovah  has  opened  his  eyes. 
Tlie  son  of  Menahem,  king  of  Israel.  He 
succeeded  his  father  and  reigned  wickedly 
two  years  (760-758  B.  c).  He  was  murdered 
in  his  palace  by  Pekah,  one  of  his  offlce.rSi 

2  Kings  15  :  22-26. 

173 


PELICAN 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


PETER 


Pelican.  Heb.  the  vomiter.  A  voracious 
water-bird,  unclean  by  the  Leviticai  law, 
Lev.  11 :  18,  of  singular  construction  and 
habits,  resembling  the  goose,  though  nearly 
twice  as  large.  Its  bill  is  15  inches  long. 
The  female  has  a  large  pouch  or  bag  capa- 
ble-of  containing  two  or  three  gallons  of 
water,  and  food  enough  for  six  common 
men.  Out  of  this  pouch  she  feeds  herself 
and  her  young,  and  from  this  habit  and 
the  red  nail  at  the  end  of  her  bill  came  the 
notion  that  she  fed  her  offspring  on  her 
own  blood.  The  pelican  was  formerly  more 
abundant  than  now  in  the  East.  Having 
gorged  itself  with  fish,  this  bird  flies  miles 
into  the  wilderness,  where  it  sits  in  some 
lonely  place  "  for  hours,  or  even  days,  with 
Its  bill  resting  on  its  breast,  a  picture  of 
melancholy."  Ps.  102:6.  The  R.  V.  and 
the  margin  of  the  A.  V.  read  "  pelican " 
lor  "  cormorant "  in  Isa.  34  :  11 :  Zeph.  2  :  14. 

Peniel  {pe-nVel),face  of  God.  The  name 
which  Jacob  gave  to  the  place  in  which 
he  had  wrestled  with  God  :  "  He  called  the 
name  of  the  place  Peniel ;  (face  of  Ood), 
for  . .  I  have  seen  God  face  to  face."  Gen. 
82  :  30.  Called  also  Penuel.  Gen.  32  ;  31 ; 
Judg.  8 :  17  ;  1  Kings  12 :  25.  Peniel  lay 
somewhere  on  the  Jabbok,  now  Zerka,  a 
few  miles  north  of  the  glen  -ic^here  the  Jab- 
bok falls  into  the  Jordan. 

Penny.  Matt.  20:2;  22- 19;  Luke  20: 
24.  This  <fvord  in  the  English  version  is 
misleading  at  the  present  time.  When  the 
translation  was  first  made  the  English 
penny  was  a  silver  coin.  The  Greek  word 
is  dcnarion,  the  Roman  denarius,  Avhich 
was  a  silver  coin  worth  ab'^ut  16  cents.  The 
penny  shown  to  Christ  whs  a  Roman  dena- 
riufi,  bearing  the  likenesa  and  name  of  Ti- 
berius Cpesar,  who  W'as  emperor  of  Rome 
at  that  time.  Agreeing  "  to  pay  the  laborer 
a  denarius  a  day  "'  shows  that  16  cents  was 
then  about  the"  value  of  a  day's  labor  in 
Judea. 

Pentecost.  Acts  2  :  1.  From  a  Greek 
word  signifying  fiftieth.  The  name  in  the 
New  Testament  for  the  second  great  festival 
of  the  Jews,  called  by  them  "the  feast  of 
weeks,"  or  "  the  day  of  first-fruits."  It  was 
celebrated  on  the  ^ftieth  day— hence  the 
name— after  the  pessover,  reckoning  from 
the  second  day  of  the  passover— the  16th 
of  Nisan— Lev.  ?S  :  11,  15,  to  the  morrow 
after  the  end  o\  the  seventh  week.  Lev. 
23  •  15,  16 ;  Deut.  16  : 9.  It  was  originally  a 
simple  thanksgiving  for  the  harvest,  which 
in  Palestine  fell  in  the  weeks  between  the 
passover  and  the  pentecost.  The  festival 
was  kept  only  for  one  day,  and  the  princi- 
pal rite  consisted  in  the  offering  of  two 
loaves  made  of  the  finest  flour  of  the  last 
crop's  wheat.  In  some  branches  of  the 
Christian  Church  pentecost  is  celebrated 
seven  weeks  after  Easter,  in  commemora- 
tion of  the  outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
on  the  disciples,  as  the  birthday  of  the 
Christian  Church.    See  Acts  2 : 1-14. 

P  e  r  g-  ii  m  o  s  {per'ga-mos.  Rev.  1  :  11,  A. 
v.,  but  in  R.  V.  Pergamum),  height,  eleva- 
tion. A  city  of  Mysia,  about  three  miles  to 
the  north  of  the  river  Caicus,  and  20  miles 
from  its  present  mouth.  The  city  was 
174 


noted  for  its  vast  library,  containing  200,000 
volumes.  Here  were  sjilendid  temples  of 
Zeus  or  Jupiter,  Athene,  Apollo,  and  ^scu- 
lapius.  One  of  "the  seven  churches  o*" 
Asia  "  was  in  Pergamos.  Rev.  1 :  11 ;  2  :  12- 
17.  It  is  called  "Satan's  seat"  by  John, 
which  some  suppose  to  refer  to  the  worship 
of  ^sculapius,  from  the  serpent  being  his 
characteristic  emblem.  The  modern  name 
of  the  city  is  Bergama, 

Peov.  'Num.  23 :  28.    See  Plsgali. 

Perizzites  {pir'iz-zUes),  villagers.  The 
Perizzites  hved  apparently  in  villages  in 
the  open  country  in  the  south  part  of  Pal- 
estine, and  were  expelled  during  the  con- 
quest. Gen.  13  :  7  :  34  :  30 ;  Josh.  17  :  15 ; 
Judg.  3:5;  1  Kings  9  :  20 ;  2  Chron.  8:7: 
Ezra  9 : 1. 

Per.sia  {per'sMah,  or  shah),  Heb.  Pharas, 
pure,  or  tigers  f  Ezek.  38  :  5.  A  country  in 
Central  Asia.  The  term  is  generally  ap- 
phed  in  Scripture  to  the  Persian  empire, 
but  in  Ezek.  38  : 5  it  designates  Persia  prop- 
er. The  Persian  empire  extended  from  the 
Indus  on  the  east  to  Thrace  on  the  west, 
and  from  the  Black  and  Caspian  Seas  on 
the  north  to  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  Per- 
sian Gulf,  and  the  Red  Sea  on  the  south. 
It,  at  times,  included  Western  Asia  and 
portions  of  Europe  and  Africa.  Persia 
prox^er  was  an  unproductive  country  south 
of  Media.  The  interior  was  a  great  plateau, 
having  an  average  elevation  of  4000  feet 
above  the  sea,  broken  by  mountains 
and  valleys  and  interspersed  with  fruitful 
plains.  The  founder  of  the  Persian  dynasty 
was  Achjemes,  and  it  was  tributary  to  the 
Medes  until  a  revolt  under  Cyrus  about 
B.C.  5S8,  when  it  rapidly  extended  its  sway 
over  Asia  Minor,  and  in  b.  c.  5:38  over  Baby- 
lon, where  the  Persians  came  into  contact 
with  the  captive  Jews.  Cyrus  issued  a  decree 
permitting  the  Jewish  captives  to  return  to 
their  own  land.  2  Chron.  36  :  20-23;  Ezra 
1:8.  A  later  king,  called  Artaxerxes  in 
Scripture,  forbade  the  rebuilding  of  the 
temple,  but  Darius  Hystaspes  authorized 
the  work  to  go  on.  Ezra  4  :5-24;  6:7-12. 
Xerxes,  who  was  probably  the  Ahasuerus 
of  the  book  of  Esther,  succeeded  him,  and 
was  defeated  by  the  Greeks,  assassinated, 
and  succeeded  by  his  son  Artaxerxes  Lon- 
gimanus,  who  w"as  friendly  to  the  Jews. 
Ezra  7  :  11-28 ;  Neh.  2 : 1-9.  Only  one  of  his 
successors  is  noticed  in  Scripture,  Darius 
the  Persian.  Neh.  12 :  22.  After  lasting 
about  200  years  the  Persian  empire  was 
overthrown'  by  Alexander  the  Great,  b.  c. 
330,  and  followed  by  the  Macedonian,  the 
third  great  world-empire.     Dan.  8:3-7,  20. 

Peter  (pe'ter),  stone,  or  rock;  Syriac  Ce- 
phas: Greek  Petros.  One  of  the  twelve 
apostles,  one  of  the  three  favorite  disciples, 
with  John  and  James.  His  original  name 
was  "  Simon  "  or  "  Simeon."  He  was  a  son 
of  Jonas  (John,  so  read  the  best  manu- 
scripts), a  brother  of  Andrew,  probably  a 
native  of  Eethsaida  in  Gahlee.  He  was  a 
fisherman  and  hved  at  Capernaum  with 
his  wife  and  mother-in-law,  whom  Christ 
healed  of  a  fever.  See  John  1 :  42 ;  21 :  15 ; 
Matt.  16  :  18 ;  Luke  5 : 3-10  ;  Matt.  8  :  14,  15 : 
Mark  1 :  29-31 ;  Luke  4 :  38.     Peter  forsook 


FHARAOH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


PHARISEES 


all  to  follow  Christ.  His  new  name  "  Peter  " 
("  rock-man")  was  given  liim  when  he  was 
called  to  the  apostleship.  John  1 :  42.  He 
made  a  remarkable  confession  of  the  divin- 
ity of  our  Lord.  :Matt.  16  :  18.  The  name 
"Peter"  or  " Cephas "  was  a  prophecy  of 
the  prominent  position  which  he,  as  the 
confessor  of  Christ,  would  occupy  in  the 
primitive  age  of  the  church.  The  church 
was  built  (not  on  Petros,  but  Petra— a  rock), 
on  his  confession  of  the  foundation, 
"  Thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God."  Matt.  16 :  16,  18.  The  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  to  bind,  and  to  loose, 
on  earth  and  in  heaven,  were  given  to  the 
church.  Matt.  18  :  17,  18 ;  1  Cor.  5 :  11,  13 ; 
2  Cor.  2 : 7, 10.  Peter  was  not  infallible,  for 
Paul  "  withstood  him  to  the  face  because 
he  was  to  be  blamed."  Gal.  2  :  11.  He  laid 
the  foundation  of  the  church  among  the 
Jews  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  Acts  2,  and, 
after  a  special  vision  and  revelation,  among 
the  Gentiles  also,  in  the  conversion  of  Cor- 
nelius. Acts  10.  He  appears  throughout  in 
the  Gospels  and  the  first  part  of  the  Acts  as 
the  head  of  the  twelve.  He  was  the  tirst  to 
confess  and  the  hi-st  to  deny  his  Lord  and 
Saviour,  yet  he  repented  bitterly,  and  had 
no  rest  and  peace  till  the  Lord  forgave  him. 
He  had  a  great  deal  of  genuine  human 
nature,  but  divine  grace  did  its  full  work, 
and  overruled  even  Ms  faults  for  his  ad- 
vancement in  humility  and  meekness.  The 
labors  of  Peter  are  recorded  in  the  Acts, 
chaps.  1  to  12  and  chap.  15.  He  was  the 
leading  apostle  from  the  day  of  Pentecost 
to  the  Council  of  Jerusalem,  in  a.  d.  50. 
After  that  time  his  labors  are  involved  in 
obscurity.  According  to  the  testimony  of 
Christian  antiquity,  Peter  suffered  martyr- 
dom in  Rome  under  Nero,  but  his  residence 
in  Rome  is  disputed,  and  the  year  of  his 
martyrdom  is  uncertain.  When  Paul  ar- 
rived at  Rome,  a.  d.  61,  and  during  his  im- 
prisonment, A.  D.  61-63,  no  mention  is  made 
of  Peter.  He  is  said  to  have  been  crucified, 
and  thus  he  followed  his  Lord  literally  in 
the  mode  of  his  death.  Comp.  John  21 :  IS, 
19.  Origen  adds,  however,  that  Peter, 
deeming  himself  unworthy  to  suffer  death 
in  the  same  manner  as  his  Master,  was  at 
his  own  request  crucified  with  his  head 
downward. 

Epistles  of  Peter.  The  genuineness 
of  1  Peter  has  never  been  seriously  ques- 
tioned. It  was  addressed  to  Christian 
churches  in  Asia  Minor,  and  written  prob- 
ably at  Babylon  on  the  Euphrates.  1  Pet. 
5  :  13.  Some,  however,  interpret  this  of 
Rome,  and  others  of  a  town  in  Egypt 
called  Babylon,  near  Old  Cairo.  2  Peter 
was  less  confidently  ascribed  to  Peter  by 
the  early  church  than  the  first  epistle. 
There  is*  no  sufficient  ground,  however,  for 
doubting  its  canonical  authoritv,  or  that 
Peter  was  its  author.  2  Pet.  1 : 1,  18 ;  3:1. 
Compare  also  1  Pet.  3 :  20  ;  2  Pet.  2  :  5.  In 
many  passages  it  resembles  the  Epistle  of 
Jude.  Both  epistles  attest  the  harmony  be- 
tween the  doctrines  of  Peter  and  Paul. 
•'  The  faith  expounded  by  Paul  kindles  into 
fervent  hope  in  the  words  of  Peter,  and  ex- 
pands into  subhme  love  in  those  of  John." 


Pharaoh  (fd'ro,  or  Jd'ra-o).  Gen.  12  :  15. 
The  common  title  of  the  king  of  Egypt— also 
called  Pharaoh-necho  and  Pharaoh-hophra. 
2  Kings  23  :  29 ;  Jer.  44 :  30 ;  46  : 2.  Ten  Phara- 
ohs are  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament. 
1.  The  Pharaoh  of  the  time  of  Abraham. 
Gen.  12  :  15.  The  date  of  Abraham's  visit  to 
Egj-pt  is  most  probably  fixed  ac  about  B.  c. 
2080.  2.  The  Pharaoh  of  Joseph,  Gen.  41, 
was  the  last,  or  the  last  but  one,  of  the 
fifteenth  dynasty :  probably  identical  with 
Apophis,  who  reigned  at  least  26  years,  b.  c. 
1876-1850.  3.  The  Pharaoh  of  the  Oppres- 
sion— "  the  new  king  over  Egypt  who  knew 
not  Joseph,"  Ex.  1:8,  and  under  whose 
reign  Moses  was  born— probably  Rameses 
II.,  the  Sesostris  of  the  Greeks,  the  master- 
builder  of  Egypt,  whose  statues  and  tem- 
ples in  ruins  are  found  all  over  the  Nile 
valley  from  Zoan  (Tanis)  to  Karnak.  His 
mummied  body  was  taken  from  the  tomb  in 
1881  and  unwrapped  in  the  Bulak  museum. 
4.  The  Pharaoh  of  the  Exodus,  Ex.  5  : 1,  be- 
fore whom  Moses  wrought  his  miracles, 
was  Menephtha,  son  of  Rameses  II.  On  a 
monument  of  Tauis  mention  is  made  of  the 
fact  that  he  lost  a  son,  and  Dr.  Brugsch  con- 
nects this  with  the  death  of  the  first-born, 
the  last  of  the  plagues.  5.  The  Pharaoh 
whose  daughter,  Bithiah,  was  given  in  mar- 
riage to  Mered,  a  descendant  of  Judah.  1 
Chron.  4  :18.  6.  The  Pharaoh  who  gave  the 
sister  of  his  queen  in  marriage  to  Hadad, 
an  Edomite  of  royal  blood,  who  escaped 
the  massacre  of  Joab  and  fled  to  Egypt.  1 
Kings  11:18-20.  7.  The  Pharaoh  whose 
daughter  Solomon  married  and  brought 
"into  the  city  of  David  until  he  had  made 
an  end  of  biiilding  his  own  house,  and  the 
house  of  the  Lord,"  1  Kings  3  : 1,  conse- 
quently before  the  eleventh  year  of  his 
reign,  in  which  vear  the  temple  was  fin- 
ished. 1  Kings  0  :  ;57,  38.  This  Pharaoh 
afterward  made  an  ex^^edition  into  Pales- 
tine, took  Gezer,  a  nd  gave  it  to  his  daughter, 
Solomon's  wife.  1  Kings  9:16.  8.  The 
Pharaoh  to  whom  king  Hezekiah  was  allied 
in  his  war  with  Sennacherib.  2  Kings  18  : 
21.  9.  Pharaoh-nechoh,  also  called  simply 
Neeho,  reigned  from  b.  c.  610  to  594.  He 
made  an  expedition  against  Assyria,  but 
was  encountered  bv  Josiah,  king  of  Judah, 
at  Megiddo.  2  Chron.  35  :  20-24 ;  2  Kings  23: 
29,  30.  Necho's  army  was  afterward  de- 
feated at  Carchemish  by  Nebuchadnezzar, 
and  he  lost  all  his  Asiatic  possessions.  2 
Kings  24  : 7.  10.  Pharaoh-hophra,  the  Apri- 
es  of  secular  history,  was  the  second  suc- 
cessor of  Necho,  aiid  entered  Palestine, 
probably  in  b.  c.  590,  in  order  to  relieve  Je- 
rusalem, which  was  besieged  by  Nebuchad- 
nezzar. Jer.  37  : 5-8;  E^k.  17  :  U-13 ;  comp. 
2  Kings  25 :  1-4.  The  campaign  was  of  no 
avail.  Jerusalem  fell,  and  Nebuchadnez- 
zar made  a  successful  invasion  info  Egypt. 
Pharaoh-hophra  was  afterward  deposed  by 
his  own  subjects,  and  finally  strangled.  In 
their  prophecies  Jeremiah  and  Ezekiel  (see 
above)  give  a  very  striking  picture  of  this 
king,  his  arrogance  and  conceit,  which  cor- 
responds closely  with  that  given  by  Herod- 
otus. 

Pharisees  {far'i-sees),  a  rehgious  sect 
175 


PHARPAR 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


PHILISTIA 


among  the  Jews  at  the  time  of  Christ.  Matt. 
15:1-8.  Their  name  is  from  the  Hebrew 
word  perushim,  "  separated."  The  chief 
sects  among  the  Jews  during  Clirist's  minis- 
try were  the  PhaHsees,  tire  Sadducees,  and 
the  Essenes.  Christ  denounced  the  Phari- 
sees in  the  strongest  language ;  see  Matt. 
15 : 1-8 ;  23  :  13-25 ;  Mark  7  : 5, 6 ;  Luke  11 :  42- 
44.  To  understand  the  Pharisees  is  an  aid 
toward  understanding  the  spirit  of  pure 
Christianity.  Tlie  principle  of  the  Phari- 
sees, common  to  them  with  all  orthodox 
modern  Jews,  is  that  by  the  side  of  the 
written  la^v  there  was  an  oral  law  to  com- 
plete and  to  explain  the  written  law,  given 
to  Moses  on  Mount  Sinai  and  transmitted 
by  him  by  word  of  mouth.  They  were  par- 
ticular to  avoid  anything  whicli  the  law  de- 
clared unclean,  biit  they  forgot  to  acquire 
that  cleanness  which  is  the  most  important 
of  all,  and  which  consists  in  the  purity  of 
the  heart.  INIatt.  15 :  11.  It  would  be  a  great 
mistake  to  suppose  that  the  Pharisees  were 
wealthy  and  luxurious,  or  that  they  had 
degenerated  into  the  vices  which  were  im- 
puted to  some  of  the  Roman  popes  and  car- 
dinals during  the  200  years  preceding  the 
Reformation.  Josephus  compared  the  Phar- 
isees to  the  sect  of  the  Stoics.  He  says  that 
they  lived  frugally,  in  no  respect  giVen  to 
luxury.  We  are  not  to  suppose  that  there 
were  not  many  individuals  among  them 
who  were  upright  and  pure,  for  there  were 
such  men  as  Nicodemus,  Gamaliel,  Joseph 
of  Arimathsea,  and  Paul.   See  Sadducees. 

Pilar  par  (far 'par),  sniff.  A  river  of 
Damascus — Abana  and  Pharpar— alluded 
tobvKaaman.  2  Kings  5: 12,   See  Abana. 

Piienice  {fc-n'i'se  or  Ji'nice).  1.  Another 
and  more  accurate  form  for  Phoenicia. 
Acts  11 :  19  :  15  : 3,  A.  V.  See  Phoenicia. 
2.  A  town  and  harbor,  more  properly  Phoe- 
nix (from  the  Greek  -word  for  the  palm 
tree  which  was  indigenous  to  Crete).  Acts 
27  :  12.  The  town  was  on  the  southwest 
coast  of  the  island  of  Crete. 

Philadelphia  (fil'a-diffl-a),  brotherly 
love.  Rev.  3:7.  A  city  on  the  borders  of 
Lydia  and  Phr,-gia,  about  25  miles  south- 
east of  Sardis.  It  was  built  by  Attains 
Philadelphus,  king  of  Pergamos,  who  died 
B.  c.  138.  Philadelphia  is  mentioned  in  the 
New  Testament  as  the  seat  of  one  of  the 
seven  churches.  Rev.  1 :  11 ;  3  :  7-13.  The 
church  at  this  place  was  highly  com- 
mended, and  it  is  noticeable  that  the  city 
has  survived  all  the  vicissitudes  of  earth- 
quakes and  wars  until  the  present  day. 

Philemon  (Jl-le'mov),  Epistle  to. 
Written  by  Paul  from  Rome,  probably  near 
the  close  of  a.  d.  62.  It  is  cited  by  Tertul- 
lian,  Origen,  and-  Eusebius,  Onesimus,  a 
servant  of  Philemon,  had  fled  to  Rome, 
was  there  converted,  serving  Paul  for  a 
season,  but  was  sent  back  to  his  fonner 
master  by  Paul,  who  wrote  this  epistle, 
chiefly  to  conciliate  the  feelings  of  Phile- 
mon toward  his  penitent  servant,  and  now 
fellow-disciple.    Philem.  1. 

Philip  (fil'ip),  lover  of  a  hori^r.    1.  One 

of  the  apostles,  a  native  of  Bethsaida ;  he 

had  been  a  disciple  of  John  the  Baptist. 

John  1 ;  43-48 ;    6:5-7;    12  :21,22;  14  :8,  9; 

176 


Matt.  10:3;  Mark  3  :  18 ;  Luke  6 :  14.  He 
was  with  the  rest  of  the  apostles  and  disci- 
ples who  had  assembled  for  prayer  in  the 
upper  room  in  Jerusalem,  after  the  ascen- 
sion of  our  Lord.  Acts  1 :  13, 14.  2.  One  of 
the  seven  deacons  of  the  church  at  Jeru- 
salem ;  also  called  "  the  Evangelist."  Acts 
6:5;  21 : 8.  He  preached  the  gospel  in  Sa- 
maria with  great  success.  Acts  8  :  5-13. 
He  was  directed  of  the  Spirit  to  proceed 
to\A'ard  Gaza,  where  he  preached  Christ  to 
the  treasurer  of  Candace,  queen  of  Ethi- 
opia. After  a  short  stay  at  Azotus,  Philip 
preached  the  gospel  from  town  to  town  till 
he  came  to  Csesarea,  where  he  probably  set- 
tled. Acts  8  :  26-40.  He  had  four  daugh- 
tei-s  who  were  endued  with  the  gifts  of 
prophecy.  Acts  21:8,9.  3.  A  tetrarch  of 
Trachonitis,  and  Itureea.  Luke  3:1.  He 
was  the  son  of  Herod  the  Great,  by  his 
wife  Cleopatra :  and  at  his  death  his  te- 
trarchy  was  annexed  to  Syria.  Matt.  16: 
13  ;  Mark  8  :  27.  4.  A  son  of  Herod  the 
Great  by  Mariamne  the  daughter  of  Simon 
the  high  priest.  He  was  the  first  husband 
of  Herodias,  who  was  taken  from  him  by 
his  brother  Herod  Antipas.  Matt.  14  :  3  ; 
Mark  6 :  17 ;  Luke  3  :  19. 

Philippi  {fi-Up'pT).  A  city  of  Macedo- 
nia. It  was  on  the  borders  of  Thrace.  33 
Roman  miles  northeast  of  Amphipolis,  and 
about  ten  miles  from  Neapolis  its  port, 
where  Paul  landed.  It  was  built  on  the 
site  of  a  village,  called  Krenides  (also 
Datos),  by  Philip  king  of  Macedon,  and 
made  a  strong  militarj-  station.  From  the 
New  Testament  history  Philippi  appears  to 
have  been  the  first  city  in  Europe  which 
heard  the  gospel.  The"  accomit  of  Paul's 
visit  and  of  his  founding  of  a  church  there 
is  given  in  Acts  16. 

Pliilippians  (fl-ltp'pi-anz),  Epistle  to 
the.  This  epistle,  written  by  Paul  while  a 
prisoner  at  Rome,  a.  d.  62  of  63,  is  remark- 
able for  its  Christian  joy  and  for  the  love 
the  apostle  shows  for  tlie  PhiUppian  con- 
verts. Phil.  4  : 1.  The  Philippian  Chris- 
tians are  reminded,  as  believers  in  Christ, 
of  their  dignity  and  privileges,  see  Acts 
16  :  12-40,  and  are  exhorted  to  live  worthily 
of  their  heavenly  citizenship.  Phil.  3  :20; 
1 :  27,  R.  V. 

Philistia  (fl-tts'tl-aJi  or -llst'yah),  Imid  of 
sojoimiers.  In  Ps.  60  : 8 ;  87  : 4  ;  108  : 9,  the 
only  places  where  the  word  "Phihstia" 
occurs,  is  the  same  Hebrew  word  elsewhere 
translated  "Palestine."  Palestine  origin- 
ally meant  only  the  district  inhabited  by 
Philistines.  In  Ps.  83  : 7  A.  V.  the  word 
is  rendered  "Philistines."  Josephus  calls 
these  people  "  Palestines."  Phihstia,  or  the 
"land  of  the  Philistines,"  included  the 
coast  plain  on  the  southwest  of  Palestine, 
from  Joppa  on  the  nortli  to  the  valley  of 
Gerar  on  the  soutli,  a  distance  of  about 
40  miles.  Its  breadth  at  the  northern  end 
was  ten  miles,  and  at  the  southern  about 
20.  It  appears  to  have  extended  as  far  in- 
land as  Beersheba.  Gen.  21 :  33,  34 ;  26 : 1, 
14-18:  Ex.  23:31:  Josh.  13:2,3.  At  the 
Exodus  the  Phihstines  seem  to  have  been 
such  a  mighty  and  warlike  people,  that  the 
IsraeUtes  deemed  it  prudent  to  avoid  their 


PHINEHAS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


PIT 


land,  lest  "the  people  repent  when  they 
hee  war,  and  they  return  to  Egypt."  Ex. 
13  :  17.  Thencelbnvard,  during  the  whole 
period  of  Old  Testament  liistory,  the  Israel- 
ites and  the  Philistines  were  frequently 
brought  in  contact.  The  Philistines  are 
mentioned  310  times  in  the  Old  Testament, 
from  Genesis  to  Zechariah.  They  were  a 
commercial  as  well  as  a  warlike  people. 
Tlieir  chief  god  was  Dagon,  Judg.  16  :  23  ;  1 
8aai.  5 :  1-5,  who,  as  well  as  the  goddess 
Derketo,  had  the  form  of  a  fish. 

Phinelias  (fln'e-has),  brazen  mouth.  1. 
A  son  of  Eleazar  and  grandson  of  Aaron, 
Ex.  6  :  25  ;  1  Chron.  6  : 4,  50,  was  high  priest 
of  the  Jews  for  nearly  20  years.  His  zeal 
and  promptitude  in  punishing  the  sin  of 
Zimri  was  rewarded  by  the  promise  to  his 
family  of  perpetual  succession  in  the  Jew- 
ish priesthood.  Num.  25  :  6-15.  This  prom- 
ise was  fulfilled;  for  except  the  interval 
from  Eli  to  Zadok,  the  priesthood  contin- 
ued in  the  family  of  Phinehas  until  the 
destruction  of  the  temple  and  the  Babylo- 
nian captivity.  2.  A  son  of  Eli,  and  noted 
for  his  wickedness.  1  Sam.  1:3;  2 :  34  ;  4 : 
4, 11, 17, 19 ;  14  : 3.  3.  A  Levite  in  the  time 
of  Ezra.    Ezra  8 :  33. 

Phoenicia  (fe-nlsh't-ah).  A  country  north 
of  Palestine,  and  on  the  Mediterranean 
Sea.  Its  extreme  length  was  about  120 
miles,  and  its  width  about  20  miles.  Its  chief 
cities  were  Tyre  and  Sidon.  Phoenicia  was 
included  in  the  land  of  promise,  but  it  was 
not  occupied  by  the  Israelites.  Josh.  13 : 4- 
6  ;  Judg.  1  :  3l",  32.  David  and  Solomon 
traded  with  its  king,  receiving  timber  from 
its  territory,  and  employing  its  sailors,  la- 
borers, and  skilled  workmen.  2  Sam.  5: 
11 ;  1  Kings  5  :  9,  17,  18.  Ahab  married  a 
princess  of  this  country,  and  there  Elijah 
found  a  refuge.  1  Kings  16  :  31 ;  17  :  9  ; 
Luke  4  :  26.  Jesus  also  visited  this  country 
—the  only  time  he  passed  the  borders  of 
Palestine.  Matt.  15  :  21 ;  Mark  7  :  26.  Paul 
visited  Tyre,  Sidon,  and  Ptolemais.  Acts 
21 : 2,  3,  7  ;  27  : 3.  The  name  "  Phoenicia  " 
does  not  occur  in  the  Old  Testament ;  in 
the  New  Testament  it  appears  once  as 
Phoenicia  and  twice  as  Phenice.  Acts  21 : 
2 ;  11 :  19 ;  15 :  3,  A.  V.  The  R.  V.  reads  Phre- 
nicia  in  all  these  places.  There  are  nu- 
merous prophecies  in  the  Old  Testament, 
however,  concerning  the  overthrow  of 
cities  in  this  country,  which  have  been  sig- 
nally fulfilled.    See"  Tyi'e  and  Sidon. 

Phrygia  [fryfi-ah),  dry,  barren.  A  dis- 
trict of  Asia  Minor  whose  hmits  varied  at 
different  times.  Within  its  limits  were  the 
cities  of  Laodicsea,  Hierapolis,  Colossse,  and 
Antioch  of  Pisidia.  People  from  Phrygia 
were  present  at  Pentecost,  Acts  2 :  10 :  and 
the  apostle  Paul  twice  traversed  the  coun- 
try. Acts  16  :  6 ;  18  :  23.  Some  converts 
were  made,  and  we  find  Paul  "strengthen- 
ing all  the  disciples."  Acts  18  :  23.  At  the 
Council  of  Nice,  a.  d.  325,  the  Phrygian 
churches  were  represented  by  eight 'bish- 
ops, and  still  more  attended  the  Council  of 
Constantinople,  a.  d.  381. 

Phut  {phitt),  afflicted,  or  a  how  ?  Gen.  10 : 
6.  More  properly  Put,  as  in  R.  V.,  and  1 
Chron,  1 :  8,  A.V.    Phut  was  a  son  of  Ham, 


and  progenitor  of  an  African  people  of  the 
same  name,  though  sometimes  the  name  is 
rendered  "  Libya  "  or  "  Libyans."  Jer.  46  : 
9;  Ezek.  27.10:  30:5;  38:5:  Nah.  3:9,  A. 
V.  But  the  R.  V.  reads  "  Put "  in  all  cases. 
These  people  probably  occupied  Libya,  in 
north  Africa,  near  the  Mediterranean 'coast. 
This  is  the  land  of  the  Moors  in  modern 
times. 

Phylactery.  Matt.  23:5.  A  strip  of 
parchment  on  which  some  verses  of  Scrip- 
ture were  written,  e.  g.,  Ex.  13  : 2-10,  11-16 ; 
Deut.  6:4-9;  11 :  13-21.  Such  strips  were  en- 
closed in  small  leathern  boxes,  and  during 
the  time  of  prayer  worn  by  men  on  the  fore- 
head Vjetween  'the  eyebrows,  or  on  the  left 
arm  near  the  region  of  the  heart,  being  at- 
tached by  leathern  straps.  They  were  sup- 
posed to  be  preservatives  against  the  power 
of  demons ;  hence  the  name  phylacteries, 
i.  e.,  safeguards.  The  practice  wa's  founded 
upon  a  literal  interpretation  of  Ex.  13  :  9, 
16 ;  Deut.  6:8;  11 :  18,  and  is  continued  to 
the  present  day. 

Pilate  (pVlate),  Pontius  Pilatus,  the  sixth 
Roman  procurator  of  Judea,  succeeding  Va- 
lerius Gratus.  Under  his  rule  John  the  Bap- 
tist commenced  his  ministry,  Luke  3  : 1, 
and  our  Lord  was  put  to  death.  Luke  23  : 
6, 13  ;  John  19 : 6,  19.  Pilate  entered  on  his 
office  at  the  end  of  25  or  beginning  of  26 
A.  D.,  in  the  reign  of  Tiberius.  He  held  it 
about  ten  years,  till  a  short  time  before  that 
emperor's  "death.  He  was  unscrupulous  in 
the  exercise  of  his  atithority.  See  Luke  13  : 
1.  Malicious,  artful,  yet  not 'free  from  super- 
stition, he  was  not  destitute  of  some  sense 
of  justice,  as  his  weak  efforts  to  secure  the 
acquittal  of  Jesus  show.  Vitellius,  president 
or  prefect  of  Syria,  ordered  Pilate  to  Rome 
to  answer  for  'his  conduct  before  the  em- 
peror. His  deposition  must  have  occurred  in 
36  A.  D.,  most  probably  prior  to  the  passover. 
Before  he  arrived  in  Rome,  however,  Ti- 
berius w^as  dead,  March  16,  37  a.  d.  Pilate 
is  said  to  have  been  banished  by  Caligula 
to  Vienne  in  Gaul.  According  toEusebius, 
he  put  an  end  to  his  own  life. 

Pisgah  {piz'gah),  hill,  or  the  height.  The 
summit  from  which  Moses,  before  his  death, 
gained  his  view  of  the  promised  land.  Peor 
was  a  peak  near  it.  It  was  in  Moab,  one  of 
the  mountains  of  Abarim.,  and  the  top  of 
Nebo.  It  was  in  the  territory  afterward  as- 
signed to  Reuben,  and  thus  was  north  of 
the  Arnou.  Num.  21 :  20 ;  Deut.  3  :  27  :  4 : 
49 ;  34 : 1 ;  Josh.  13  :  20.  Pisgah  had  culti- 
vated land.  Balak  brought  Balaam  "into 
the  field  of  Zophim,  to  the  top  of  Pisgah," 
and  there  "  built  seven  altars."  Num.  23  :  14. 

Pisidia  (pl-sid'i-ah),  pitchy.  A  district  of 
Asia  Minor.  The  ranges  of  the  Taurus 
mountains  extended  through  it.  Notorious  ■ 
robbers  were  in  this  region,  and  here  Paul 
may  have  been  "m  perils  of  waters,  in  per- 
ils of  robbers."  2  Cor.  11 :26.  Paul  twice 
visited  Pisidia,  passing  directly  north  from 
Perga  to  Antioch,  Acts  13  :  14,  and  again  re- 
turning through  Pisidia  to  Pamphyha. 
Acts  14 :  21-24. 

Pit.    This  term  is  used  to  render  several 
Hebrew  words.    It  denotes  a  cistern  or  res- 
ervoir.   It  was  into  such  a  dry  cistern  that 
177 


PITHOM 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


PRAYER 


Joseph  was  cast.  In  old  decayed  cisterns 
the  water  leaks  out  or  becomes  shmy,  and 
such  a  pit  becomes  the  image  of  dreariness 
and  misery.  Jer.  2 :  13 ;  Ps.  40 : 2 ;  Zech.  9 : 
11. 

Pithom  {pl'thom),  house  or  temjile,  of 
Turn,  who  was  the  sun-god  of  Heliopolis,  a 
"treasure  city,"  or  depot  of  provisions, 
built  by  the  Israelites  in  Goshen.  Ex.  1 :  11. 
M.  Naville  has  identified  Pithom  with  Pa- 
Tum,  "setting  sun,"  and  with  Td  el-Mas- 
khUla,  where  he  found  remarkable  ruins, 
brick  grain-chambers,  and  similar  evi- 
dences of  a  "  store  city." 

Plagues  of  Egypt.  The  ten  plagues 
narrated  in  Ex.  7-12  stand  in  close  connec- 
tion with  the  natural  phenomena  of  Egypt, 
still  they  maintain  their  character  as  mira- 
cles. They  are  introduced  and  performed 
by  Moses ;  they  cease  at  his  request.  Ex.  8 : 
6,  etc,  These  ten  plagues  were  doubtless 
spread  over  a  long  time,  and  probably  they 
followed,  as  much  as  possible,  the  order  of 
the  seasons;  for  some  of  them  were  not 
only  distinctively  Egyptian,  but  really  only 
an  aggravation  of  yearly  maladies.  Canon 
Cook,"in  the  Bible  Commentary,  distributes 
them  thus :  The  first  was  toward  the  end  of 
June,  when  the  Nile  begins  to  overflow. 
The  second  came  three  months  later,  at  the 
time  of  the  greatest  inundation,  in  Septem- 
ber, and  was  an  attack  on  a  native  'ivorship. 
The  third  was  early  in  October,  and  the 
fourth  after  the  subsidence  of  the  inunda- 
tion. The  fifth  was  in  December  or  Janu- 
ary :  the  sixth,  shortly  after-,  the  seventh, 
at  the  time  when  hailstonns  occur  now  in 
Egypt,  from  the  middle  of  February  to 
early  March.  The  eighth  was  Avhen"  the 
leaves  are  green,  toward  the  middle  of 
March.  The  ninth  was  peculiarly  Egyp- 
tian, and  was  the  immediate  precursor 
of  the  tenth.  During  this  time  the  Israel- 
ites had  frequent  opportunities  to  gather, 
and  thus  were  prepared  for  their  exodus. 

Plough.  The  plough  of  the  east  was 
very  light  and  simple,  perhaps  merely  a 
forked  stick,  having  a  wooden  share,  shod 
with  one  of  those  triangular  or  heart- 
shaped  points  of  iron  which  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Palestine  towns  still  use.  1 
Sam.  13 :  20.  A  single  upright  held  by  one 
hand,  Luke  9  :  62,  while  the  goad  was  car- 
ried in  the  other,  guided  this  primitive  in- 
strument, which  turned  the  earth  eqtially 
on  both  sides.  The  slight  scratching  which 
constitutes  eastern  ploughing  never  re- 
quires more  than  one  pair  of  cattle,  and 
often  a  single  cow  or  ass  or  camel  was 
doubtless  used,  as  now. 

Poetry,  Hebrew.  Poetry  was  the  delight 
of  orientals.  Alx)ut  one-third  of  the  Old 
Testament  is  poetry,  the  oldest,  the  purest, 
and  the  most  sublime  in  the  world.  Strictly 
there  is  neither  epic  nor  dramatic  poetry 
in  Hebrew.  The  reason  is  obvious.  Epic 
poetrj'  springs  from  an  effort  to  glorify  hu- 
man greatness — the  heroic  in  man ;  the 
Hebrew  was  taught  to  glorify  God.  Hebrew 
poetry  is  almost  wholly  lyric  and  didactic, 
and  some  add  also  gnomic.  There  are  no 
lyrics  in  the  world  comparable  with  the 
Psalms  of  David,  no  gnomic  poetry  equal 
#  178 


to  the  Proverbs,  and  no  didactic  poem  so 
perfect  in  form,  so  profound  and  majestic  in 
thought  or  so  exalted  and  spiritual  in  con- 
ception as  the  book  of  Job.  Rhyme  and 
metre,  common  in  modern  poetrj-,  are  sel- 
dom found  in  Hebrew.  Hebrew  poetry 
consists  chiefly  of  parallelisms  and  a  cer- 
tain swing  and  balance  in  the  sentences 
which  give  an  indescribable  charm  to  their 
poetic  compositions.  The  parallelisms  in 
Hebrew  have  been  roughly  divided  into 
three  kinds:  1,  Synonymous,  that  is,  where 
each  line  of  the  distich  or  tristich  has  the 
same  thought,  but  in  varied  expression; 
2,  Antithetic,  where  the  thought  of  the 
second  member  of  the  parallehsm  is  in  con- 
trast with  that  of  the  first ;  and  3,  Syn- 
thetic, where  the  thought  is  cumulative 
upon  the  same  topic.  There  are  five  so- 
called  poetical  books  in  the  Old  Testament : 
Job,  Psalms,  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  and 
Song  of  Solomon.  But  beside  these,  large 
portions  of  other  books  are  in  poetic  lan- 
guage. The  prophetical  books  except  Dan- 
iel are  largely  in  poetry.  See  Rice:  "Our 
Sixty-six  Sacred  Books." 

Pomegranate  {pmn-gran'nate).  The 
pomegranate  has  been  cultivated  from  early 
times  in  Syria,  Num.  13  :  23 ;  Deut.  8  : 8,  and 
the  w-armer  regions  of  the  east.  It  rarely 
exceeds  ten  feet  in  height,  and  has  small 
lance-shaped,  glossy  leaves,  of  a  reddish- 
green  when  young,  but  becoming  pea-green 
and  remaining  alive  through  the  winter. 
The  flowers  are  of  a  brilliant  scarlet  or  or- 
ange, and  in  August  or  September  the  fruit 
ripens.  This  is  of  the  size  of  an  orange, 
flattened  at  the  ends  like  an  apple,  is  of  a 
beautiful  brown-red  color.  Song  of  Sol.  4:3; 
6  :  7,  has  a  hard  rind  and  is  filled  with  pulp 
of  a  highly  grateful  flavor.  The  abmidant 
juice  was  "made  into  wine,  Song  of  Sol.  8 : 
2,  and  used  for  a  coohng  drink.  Some  cul- 
tivated trees  bear  sweet  and  some  sour 
fruit,  while  the  wild  pomegranates  yield 
only  a  small  and  worthless  apple. 

Poiitus  (pon'tus).  A  Roman  province  in 
the  north  of  Asia  Minor,  along  the  coast 
of  the  Euxine  Sea  (Pontus),  from  which 
circumstance  the  name  was  derived.  It  is 
three  times  mentioned  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, Acts  2:9;  18  : 2 ;  1  Pet.  1  : 1.  There 
were  many  Jewish  residents  in  the  district. 

Potiphar  (pot'i-far).  Potiphar,  with 
whom  the  histoiy  of  Joseph  is  connected, 
is  described  as  "  ah  officer  of  Pharaoh,  chief 
of  the  executioners,  anEgj'ptian."  Gen.  39: 
1 :  comp.  37  :  36.  He  appears  to  have  been 
a  wealthy  man.  Gen.  39  : 4-6.  The  view 
we  have  "of  Potiphar's  household  is  exactly 
in  accordance  with  the  representations  oh 
the  monuments.  When  Joseph  was  ac- 
cused, his  master  contented  himself  with 
casting  him  into  jirison.  Gen.  39 :  19,  20. 
After  this  we  hear  no  more  of  Potiphar. 

Pottage.    Gen.  25  :  29.    See  L,eiitiles. 

Potter,  Jer.  18  :  2 :  Lam.  4  :  2,  and  pot- 
tery are  frequently  alluded  to  in  Scripture, 
showing  that  the  art  was  known  at  an  early 
period. 

Prayer.  All  the  noted  saints  of  Scrip- 
ture were  mighty  in  prayer  :  but  there  is  no 
mention  of  special  prayer  before  the  flood. 


PREVENT 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


PROPHECY 


Se3  Gen.  20  :  17  :  32  :  26  :  Num.  11:2.  For  list 
of  s  )ecial  prayers  see  "ludex  to  the  Bible." 

Prevent,  and  Prevented.  Job  3  :  12 ; 
41:11;  Ps.  59:10;  79:8;  88:13;  119:148; 
Matt.  17  :  25.  These  words  in  the  A.  V. 
never  mean,  as  at  present,  "to  hinder," 
but  "to  go  before,"  "to  anticipate."  1 
Thess.  4 ;  15. 

Priest.  In  the  sacred  Scriptures  priest 
denotes  one  \vho  offers  sacrilice.  In  patri- 
archal times  the  fathers  were  the  priests  of 
their  own  famihes,  thougli  perhaps  a  more 
general  priestly  office  existed,  such  as  that 
exercised  by  Melchizedek.  The  patriarchs 
— Xoah,  Abraham,  and  others — officiated 
as  priests  of  their  households.  Gen.  8 :  20 ; 
12  :  8.  The  male  descendants  of  Aaron 
were  priests  by  birthright,  and  the  first- 
born, in  regular  succession,  was  entitled  to 
the  office  of  high  priest.  Certain  blem- 
ishes, however,  specified  in  Lev.  21 :  16-24, 
disqualified  a  man,  not  for  the  order,  but 
for  performing  the  functions  of  the  office. 
The  number  of  priests  was  at  first  very 
small,  Josh.  3:6;  6:4;  but  in  the  time  of 
David  it  had  greatly  increased  ;  3700  priests 
joined  him  at  Hebron.  1  Chron.  12 :  27. 
He  divided  them  into  24  courses— 16  of  the 
family  of  Eleazar,  and  eight  of  the  family 
of  Ithamar ;  and,  as  these  courses  officiated 
in  regular  succession,  changing  every  Sab- 
bath, 2  Chron.  23  :  8,  each  course  would  be 
in  attendance  at  the  sanctuary  at  least  twice 
a  year.  During  the  period  of  the  captivity 
this  division  into  courses  seems  to  have 
fallen  into  some  confusion.  Among  the 
4289  priests  who  accompanied  Zerubbabel, 
only  four  courses  were  represented,  Ezra  2 : 
36-39 ;  Neh.  7  ;  39-42,  and  courses  are  after- 
ward mentioned  which  cannot  be  identi- 
fied with  any  of  the  original  ones.  The 
duty  of  the  priests  was  to  prepare  and  offer 
the  daily,  weekly,  and  monthly  sacrifices. 
In  war  they  sounded  the  holy  trumpets  and 
carried  the  ark  of  the  covenant.  In  peace 
they  ministered  as  judges  and  expounded 
the  law  to  the  people.  It  appears,  however, 
from  2  Chron.  17  : 7-10 ;  19  : 8-10  ;  Ezek.  44  : 
24,  etc.,  that  the  priests  often  neglected  the 
judicial  and  teaching  functions  of  their 
office.  The  consecration  of  a  priest  took 
place  with  great  solemnity.  The  ceremo- 
nies, which  were  minutely  prescribed  by 
Moses,  Ex.  29  : 1-37  ;  Lev.  chaps.  8,  9,  lasteci 
for  seven  days,  and  consisted  in  sacrifices, 
washings,  the  putting  on  of  the  holy  gar- 
ments, the  sprinkling  of  blood,  and  anoint- 
ing with  oil.  The  consecration  of  the  high 
priest  was  distinguished  by  pouring  the 
■  sacred  oil  upon  his  head,  Ex.  29 : 7 ;  30 :  22- 
33 ;  Lev.  8  :  12 ;  21 :  10,  12 ;  Ps.  133 :  2,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  washing  and  the  sprinkling 
with  oil,  etc.,  which  he  shared  with  all 
priests,  Ex.  29  ;  4,  20,  21 ;  Lev.  8  :  6,  23,  24, 
30.  So  Christ,  our  great  High  Priest,  was 
anointed  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  Dan.  9  :  24  ; 
Acts  10 :  38 ;  John  3 :  34.  Pecuhar  garments 
were  put  upon  the  high  priest,  Ex.  29  :  5,  6, 
29,  30 ;  Lev.  8  :  7-9,  and  sacrifices  were  of- 
fered seven  days.  Ex.  29  :  1-37 ;  Lev.  8  : 
14-36.  The  high  priest's  sacred  garments, 
besides  the  drawers,  linen  tunic,  and  girdle 
of  other   priests,  were  four,  Ex.  28  :  4,  39- 


43 ;  Lev.  8  :  7-9 :  the  robe  of  the  ephod, 
Ex.  28  :  31-35 ;  the  ephod,  with  its  "  curious 
girdle,"  Ex.  28  : 6-12 ;  the  breast-plate,  with 
the  Urim  and  Thummim,  vs.  15-30 ;  and 
the  mitre,  vs.  36,  39.  See  the  respective 
titles.  These  garments  were  worn  only 
when  the  high  priest  was  ministering  in 
the  sanctuary.  Ezek.  42  :  14 ;  44  :  17-19  ; 
Acts  23 :  5.  On  the  day  of  atonement  his 
dress  was  of  plain  white  hnen.  Lev.  16  : 
4,  23,  24.  The  high  priest  was  to  enter  the 
Holy  of  Holies  once  a  year  on  the  day  of 
atonement,  to  make  expiation  for  the  sins 
of  the  nation.  Lev.  16.  The  high  priest 
was  president  of  the  Sanhedrin  in  our 
Lord's  time.  Matt.  26 :  62.  The  office  of  the 
priesthood  was  abohshed  when  Christ  died. 
There  were  to  be  no  more  offerings  for  sin. 
"Christ  was  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins 
of  many."  Heb.  9 :  28.  "We  are  sanctified 
through  the  offering  of. .  Jesus  Christ  once." 
Heb.  10  :  10.  "  By  one  offering  he  hath  per- 
fected forever  them  that  are  sanctified." 
Heb.  10  :  14.  The  words  priest  and  priest- 
hood do  not  occur  in  the  New  Testament 
in  connection  Avith  any  order  in  the 
church.  The  only  mention  of  them  is, 
Christ,  as  our  Priest,  and  all  believers,  as 
priests,  and  a  priesthood.  1  Pet  2  :  5,  9 : 
Rev.  1:6;  5:10;  20:6. 

Prophecy.  Prophecy  is  not  only  the 
predicting  of  future  events  :  it  included  the 
larger  office  of  receiving  and  communicat- 
ing the  will  and  purposes  of  God.  So  that 
we  find  in  Scripture  prophecy  instructions, 
warnings,  rebukes,  as  largely  as  predictions 
of  things  to  come.  And  men  are  termed 
prophets,  Abraham  for  example.  Gen.  20 : 
7,  of  whom  it  is  nowhere  recorded  that  they 
uttered  a  single  prophecy  in  the  sense  of 
foretelhng  future  events.  Christ,  moreover, 
in  whom  the  promise  of  Deut.  18 :  15-19  was 
to  have  its  ultimate  and  complete  fulfil- 
ment, and  who  was  to  be  the  great  prophet 
of  the  church,  performed  that  office,  not  so 
much  by  many  predictions  as  by  teaching 
all  that  it  was  needful  the  world  should 
know.  The  way,  too,  in  which  prophecy 
is  spoken  of  in  the  apostolic  writings  goes 
to  estabhsh  the  same  view.  It  is  described 
as  touching  the  heart  and  conscience,  con- 
victing, instructing,  edifying,  comforting. 
1  Cor.  14  :  1,  3,  24,  25.  The  heathen  had 
little  conception  of  prophecy  in  this  its 
largest  and  most  excellent  sense :  they 
deemed  it  but  an  inexplicable  knowledge 
of  futurity.  What,  then,  are  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  16  prophets  thus  called  and 
commissioned  and  intrusted  with  the  mes- 
sages of  God  to  his  people?  1.  They  were 
the  national  poets  of  Judea.  2.  They  were 
annahsts  and  historians.  A  great  portion 
of  the  prophecies  of  Isaiah,  of  Jeremiah, 
of  Daniel,  of  Jonah,  of  Haggai,  is  direct  or 
indirect  history.  3.  They  were  preachers 
of  morals  and  of  spiritual  religion.  The 
system  of  morals  put  forward  by  the  proph- 
ets, though  not  higher  or  purer  than  that 
of  the  law,  is  more  plainly  declared,  and 
with  greater,  because  now  more  needed, 
vehemence  of  diction.  4.  But  the  proph- 
ets were  something  more  than  national 
poets  and  annahsts,  preachers  of  patriot- 
179 


PROPITIATION 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY      PSALMS,  THE  BOOK  OF 


ism,  moral  teachers,  exponents  of  the  law, 
pafetors,  and  poUticians.  Their  most  essen- 
tial characteristic  is  that  they  were  instru- 
ments of  revealing  God's  will  to  man,  as 
in  other  ways,  so  specially  by  predicting 
future  events,  and,  in  particular,  by  fore- 
telling the  incarnation  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  redemption  effected  by  him. 
We  have  a  series  of  prophecies  which  are 
so  applicable  to  the  person  and  earthly  life 
of  Jesus  Christ  as  to  be  thereby  shown  to 
have  been  designed  to  apply  to  him.  And 
if  they  were  designed  to  apply  to  him,  pro- 
phetical prediction  is  proved.  The  weight 
of  prophecy  as  an  evidence  of  the  truth  of 
the  religion  of  the  Bible  can  hardly  be 
overestimated.  It  stands  alone.  No  other 
claim  to  supernatural  foreknowledge  can 
be  put  in  comparison  with  it.  And  no 
petty  objection  to  tins  or  that  detail,  no 
fancied  discovery  that  here  or  there  fulfil- 
ment has  not  answered  to  prediction,  can 
be  admitted  to  shake  such  evidence  of  such 
a  comprehensive  character.  The  supjjosed 
chronological  arrangement  of  the  prophe- 
cies is  as  follows :  b  <-. 

Jonah 856-784 

Amos o 810-785 

Hosea 810-725 

Isaiah 810-G98 

Joel 810-660 

Micah 758-699 

Nahum 720-698 

Zephaniah 610-609 

Jeremiah 628-586 

Habakkuk 612-598 

Daniel 606-534 

Obadiah 588-583 

Ezekiel 595-536 

Haggai 520-518 

Zechariah 520-518 

Malaclii 436-420 

Propitiation.  A  reconciliation.  Thus, 
Christ  is  the  "  propitiation  for  our  sins." 
Rom.  3  :  25 ;  1  John  2:2;  4  :  10.  He  recon- 
ciles us  to  God,  not  God  to  us.  The  same 
Greek  word  is  used  by  the  Septuagint  to 
denote  "sin-offering,"  Ezek.  44  :  27 and  45  : 
19;  " atonement,"  Num.  5:8;  the  "mercy- 
seat,"  Heb.  9:5;  and  the  covering  of  the 
ark  of  the  covenant.    Lev.  16  :  14. 

Proselyte,  a  stranger,  sojourner.  In  the 
later  Jewish  sense  this  term  designates  a 
convert  from  Paganism  to  Judaism.  Matt. 
23  :  15 ;  Acts  2:11;  6:5;  13  :  43.  The  Rab- 
bins distinguish  two  kinds  of  proselytes. 
1.  Perfect  proselytes,  who,  submitting  to 
circumcision,  embraced  the  Jewish  religion 
in  its  full  extent,  and  enjoyed  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  Jewish  citizenship.  Ex. 
12 :  48 ;  20 :  10 ;  Josephus  Ant.  xx.  2.  4.  2. 
Proselytes  of  the  gate,  i.  e.,  foreigners, 
dwelling  among  the  Jews,  who,  without 
being  circumcised,  conformed  to  certain 
Jewish  laws  and  customs.  Proselytes  were 
found  in  great  numbers,  not  only  in  Judea, 
but  in  all  the  principal  cities  of  the  empire. 
Acts  13  :  43 ;  16 :  14 ;  17  : 4, 17  ;  18  : 7. 

Proverbs,  Book  of.  This  is  a  collec- 
tion of  wise  maxims  woven  into  a  didactic 
poem,  and  making  up  a  popular  system  of 
ethics.  They  are  a  guide  of  practical  wisdom, 
180 


the  moral  philosophy  of  tlie  Hebrews.  We 
may  divide  the  book  of  Proverbs  into  four 
parts.  1.  Prov.  1-9,  a  discourse  extolhng 
true  wisdom,  and  specially  urging  the  joung 
to  secure  so  excellent  a  possession.  To  this 
we  find  prefixed  a  title  and  introduction,  1: 
1-6,  intended  possibly  to  apply  to  the  whole 
book.  2.  A  collection  of  maxims  generally 
unconnected,  inculcating  moral  precepts 
which  respect  both  man's  duty  towards 
God  and  his  behavior  to  his  fellovv-crea- 
tures.  10 : 1-22  :  16.  3.  A  more  connected 
address,  with  various  admonitions,  and  a 
charge  to  listen  to  the  words  of  the  wise.  22 : 
17-24:34.  4.  An  api)endix,  chaps.  25-31, 
comprising  (1)  a  collection  of  Solomon's 
proverbs  which  Hezekiah's  servants  copied 
out,  chaps.  25-29 ;  many  of  those  which 
are  comprised  in  the  second  part  are  here 
repeated  ;  and  (2)  chaps.  30,  31,  the  words  of 
Agur,  etc.  The  book  of  Proverbs  is  fre- 
quently cited  or  alluded  to  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. It  is,  indeed,  a  treasure-house  of 
ethical  wisdom,  filled  with  choice  senten- 
tious aphorisms,  far  excelUng  those  of  all 
secular  and  uninspired  sages,  and  inculcat- 
ing all  moral  d;;ties. 

Psalms,  tlie  Book  of.  The  "  praise  "  or 
hymn-book  of  Jew  and  Christian  for  thou- 
sands of  years.  The  following  description 
of  the  book  is  given  in  Rice's  Our  Sixty-six 
Sacred  Books :  The  book  of  Psalms  in  the 
Hebrew  Bible  was  the  first  of  the  third 
division  called  K'thubim,  or  "Writings." 
The  Psalms,  Proverbs,  and  Job  were  regard- 
ed as  pre-eminently  poetical  books,  and  the 
Massoretes  distinguished  them  by  a  peculiar 
accentuation.  The  Psalms  were  called 
"Sepher  T'hellim,"  or  "Book  of  Praises." 
The  Greeks  called  it  "Psalmos,"  from 
which  the  Enghsh  "Psalms"  is  derived. 
The  Psalms  counted  one  book  in  the  A.  V., 
in  the  Hebrew  Bible  are  divided  into  five 
collections,  rather  ina])tly  termed  "  books" 
in  the  Revised  English  Version.  The  end 
of  each  of  the  first  four  "  books  "  is  indicated 
bv  a  doxologj'.  The  books  are  :  1.  Ps.  1-41 ; 
2.'  Ps.  42-72 ;  '3.  Ps.  73-89  :  4.  Ps.  90-106 ;  5. 
Ps.  107-150.  The  topics  of  the  Psalms  have 
been  compared  to  an  oratorio  in  five  parts : 
1.  Decline  of  man  ;  2.  Revival ;  3.  Plaintive 
complaint ;  4.  Response  to  the  complaint ; 
5.  Final  thanksgiving  and  triumph.  This 
fivefold  division  of  the  Psalms  is  very  an- 
cient, but  when  or  by  whom  it  was  made 
is  uncertain.  Some  ascribe  it  to  Nehemiah 
or  his  time ;  it  certainly  is  two  or  three  cen- 
turies older  than  the  Christian  era.  The 
division  appears  in  the  Septuagint.  Why  it 
was  made  is  not  clear.  Some  conjecture 
that  it  was  in  accord  with  the  supposed 
chronological  order  of  the  Psalms,  or  was 
an  arrangement  according  to  authors,  top- 
ics, or  for  liturgical  use.  The  collection 
could  not  have  been  completed  before  the 
time  of  Ezra.  About  fifty  Psalms  are  quoted 
in  the  New  Testament.  The  titles  or  in- 
scriptions of  the  Psalms  are  not  by  the  orig- 
inal authors,  but  belong  to  an  early  age. 
They  are  attached  to  101  Psalms.  The  49 
not  having  titles,  the  Talmud  calls  "  Orphan 
P.salms."  According  to  these  titles,  73 
Psalms  are  ascribed  to  David,  12  to  Asaph, 


PUBLICAN 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


QUICKSANDS,  THE 


one  of  David's  singers,  12  to  tlie  sons  of 
Korah,  a  priestly  family  of  singers  of 
David's  time,  2  (72d  and  127th)  to  Solomon, 
1  (90th)  to  Moses,  and  1  (89th)  to  Ethan. 
The  other  49  are  anonymous.  But  the  Sep- 
tuagint  assigns  85  Psalms  to  David,  the  127th 
to  Jeremiah,  the  146th  to  Haggai,  and  the 
147th  to  Zechariah.  The  New  Testament 
also  cites  Psalms  2  and  95  as  if  David  were 
the  author.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the 
great  Hallel  songs,  Ps.  115-118,  and  the  fa- 
mous alphabetic  hymn, the  119th,  are  among 
the  anonymous  songs.  The  most  ancient 
classification,  aside  from  the  division  into 
five  collections,  is  found  in  the  titles.  The 
meaning  of  these  is  obscure.  Some  are 
termed  Shir,  a  solo  for  the  voice ;  Mizmor, 
song  of  praise  accompanied  with  an  instru- 
ment ;  Maschil,  ode  or  didactic  song  ;  Mich- 
tam,  a  catch-word  poem  (Delitzsch) ;  Shig- 
gaion,  an  excited  ode ;  Tephillah,  a  prayer- 
song  ;  Shir  jedidoth,  a  song  of  loves  ;  Shir 
hamma'aloth,  a  song  of  ascent  or  pilgrim 
songs;  Kinah,  dirge  or  elegy.  ^Modern 
groups  are  based  upon  the  contents,  as 
seven  (some  say  eight)  penitential  (Gth, 
25th,  32d  [38th],  51st,  102d,  130th,  143d), 
seven  imprecatory  psalms  (35th,  52d,  58th, 
59th,  69th,  109th,  137th),  pilgrim  songs, 
psalms  of  thanksgiving,  of  adoration,  of 
faith  and  hope.  Messianic  psalms,  and  his- 
toric psalms.  Some  psalms  have  parallel- 
isms or  longer  stanzas,  each  beginning 
with  an  initial  letter  corresponding  to 
the  twenty-two  letters  of  the  Hebrew  al- 
phabet. There  are  seven  of  these  alpha- 
betic psalms  and  five  other  alphabetic 
poems  in  the  Old  Testament.  Some  psalms 
are  choral,  as  24th,  115th,  135th  ;  some  gra- 
dational,  as  121st,  124th.  Of  the  psalms  as- 
cribed to  David,  several  have  Aramaic 
forms,  but  according  to  the  latest  linguistic 
researches  these  forms  may  betray  an  earlier 
rather  than  a  later  author.'  The  psalms  have 
suggested  many  of  the  noblest  Christian 
hymns. 

Publican,  a  collector  of  Roman  tribute. 
Matt.  18  :  17.  The  principal  farmers  of  this 
revenue  were  men  of  great  credit  and  in- 
fluence, but  the  under-farmers,  or  common 
publicans,  were  remarkable  for  their  rapa- 
city and  extortion,  and  were  accounted  as 
oppressive  thieves  and  pickpockets.  Hence 
the  Jews  classed  them  with  sinners,  and 
would  not  allow  them  to  enter  the  temple 
or  the  synagogues,  to  partake  of  the  public 
prayers  or  ottices  of  judicature,  or  to  give 
testimony  in  a  court  of  justice. 

Pill  [piil),  lord?  The  first  king  of  As- 
syria who  invaded  Canaan,  and  by  a  pres- 
ent of  1000  talents  of  silver,  equivalent  to 
nearly  $2,000,000  in  our  day,  was  prevailed 
on  by  Menahem  to  withdraw  his  troops 
and  recognize  the  title  of  that  wicked  usur- 
per.   2  Kings  15  :  19. 

Pulse,  seed.  Our  English  word  means 
peas,  beans,  lentiles,  and  the  produce  of 
similar  podded  plants,  but  in  Dan.  1 :  12,  16 
the  Hebrew  word  probably  denotes  vegeta- 
ble food  in  general,  and  in  2  Sam.  17  :  28 
parched  peas,  which  are  still  a  favorite 
food  in  the  east. 

Purple.  Ex.  25 : 4.  The  purple  dye  so 
12 


famous  among  the  orientals  of  ancient 
days  was  produced  from  a  species  of  shell- 
fish pecuUar  to  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  As 
each  fish  yielded  but  a  few  drops  of  color- 
ing matter,  the  choicest  purple  bore  a  very 
high  price.  Purple  robes  were  worn  by  the 
kings  and  first  magistrates  of  ancient  na- 
tions.   Esth.  8  :  15.    Comp.  Luke  16 :  19. 

Purse.  A  fold  in  the  girdle,  such  as  is 
often  found  at  the  present  day  in  eastern 
countries.  But  Hebrews  also  had  a  bag 
which  was  used  to  hold  money.  The  first 
fold  in  a  girdle  had  an  opening^  closed  with 
a  leathern  strap,  where  the  money  was  car- 
ried.   Matt.  10  : 9  ;  Mark  6  : 8. 

Puteoli  (pa-te'o-li).  The  principal  port 
of  southern  Italy,  in  the  most  sheltered 
part  of  the  bay  of  Naples.  It  was  the  great 
emporium  for  the  Alexandrian  wheat-ships. 
Seneca  gives  an  interesting  account  of  the 
arrival  of  a  fleet  of  these.  All  other  vessels 
when  they  entered  the  bay  were  obUged  to 
strike  their  topsails.  These,  therefore,  could 
be  distinguished  in  a  crowd  of  ships  as  soon 
as  they  hove  in  sight.  Paul  was  permitted 
to  tarry  seven  days  at  Puteoli  on  his  way 
from  INIalta  to  Rome.    Acts  28 :  13,  14. 

I'ygarg'  Dent.  14 :  5,  A.  V.  Probably 
the  antelope  known  as  the  addax. 


Quails.    Ex.  16  :  13 ;  Num.  11 :  31.  32 ;  Ps. 

105  :  40.  The  great  quantity  of  quails  taken 
by  the  Israelites  has  its  parallel  in  mod- 
ern times.  Pliny  states  that  they  some- 
times ahght  on  vessels  in  the  Mediterranean 
and  sink  them.  Colonel  Sykes  states  that 
160,000  quails  have  been  netted  in  one  sea- 
son on  the  island  of  Capri.  The  Israehtes 
would  have  had  little  difficulty  in  capturing 
large  quantities  of  these  birds,  as  they  are 
known  to  arrive  at  places  sometimes  so 
completely  exhausted  by  their  flight  as  to 
be  readily  taken,  not  in  nets  only,  but  by 
the  hand.  Yet  the  feeding  of  the  Israehtes 
for  a  month  was  a  miracle. 

Quaternion.  A  body  of  four.  Acts  12 : 
4-10.  Four  soldiers  were  appointed  to  keep 
guard  during  each  of  the  four  watches  of 
the  night.  There  were  therefore  sixteen 
in  all.  Of  each  quaternion  probably  two 
were  in  the  prison,  Peter  being  chained  to 
them,  and  the  other  two  were  sentinels  be- 
fore the  gate — the  first  and  second  guard. 

Queen.  This  title  in  the  A.  V.  repre- 
sents three  Hebrew  words.  It  is  applied  to 
a  ruling  queen,  as  the  queen  of  Sheba,  1 
Kings  10  : 1 ;  and  to  Athaliah,  2  Kings  11 ;  to 
the  wives  of  the  king,  Esth.  1  : 9 ;  7  : 1 ;  and 
to  the  queen-mother,  as  Bathsheba,  Jlaa- 
chah,  1  Kings  2  :  19 ;  15  :  13 ;  and  to  Jeze- 
bel, 2  Kings  10  :  13. 

Queen  of  heaven,  Jer.  7  :  18 ;  44 :  17,  18, 
19,  25,  is  the  moon,  worshipi^ed  as  Ashta- 
roth  or  Astarte,  to  whom  the  Hebrew  women 
offered  cakes  in  the  streets  of  Jerusalem. 

Quicksands,  The.  jNIore  properly  the 
Syrtis,  as  in  the  R.  V.,  Acts  27  :  17,  the  broad 
and  sandy  gulf  on  the  north  African  coast 
between  Carthage  and  Cyrene.  There  were 
properly  two  Syrtes— the  eastern  or  larger, 
181 


QUIVER 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


REBEKAH 


now  called  the  Gulf  of  Sidra,  and  the 
western  or  smaller,  now  the  Gulf  of  Cahes. 
The  former  is  mentioned  in  the  Acts. 

Quiver.  Gen.  27  : 3.  A  case  for  arrows. 
See  Ai-mor. 

R 

Raamah  {rd'a-mah),  trembling.  A  com- 
mercial country  which  traded  with  Tyre. 
Ezek.  27  :  22.  It  furnished  spices,  gems, 
and  gold,  and  was  probablj^  named  after  a 
son  of  Gush,  whose  descendants  are  be- 
lieved to  have  settled  upon  the  southwest- 
ern shore  of  the  Persian  Gulf 

Raamses  {ra-dm'sez).  Ex.  1  :  11.  See 
Rauieses. 

Kabbah  {rub' bah),  greatness.  The 
chief  city  and  capital  of  the  Ammonites. 
Josh.  13  :25.  Its  full  name  is  "  Rabbath  of 
the  children  of  Ammon."  Deut.  3  :  11  A. 
V.  Ii  is  also  called  "  Rabbath  of  the  Am- 
monites." Ezek.  21 :  20  A.  V.  Greek  and 
Roman  writers  call  it  "Philadelphia,"  a 
name  given  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus,  by 
whom  it  wiis  rebuilt.  Its  modern  name  is 
Amman.  Rabbath  was  situated  on  the  upper 
Jabbok,  about  22  miles  east  of  the  Jordan. 

Kabbi  {rub'bf),  liierally  mij  master.  A 
title  given  by  the  Jews  to 'teachers  of  the 
law,  and  frequently  applied  to  our  Lord  by 
the  disciples  and  the  people.  Matt.  23  :  7, 
8:  26:25,  49;  Mark  9:5;  11:21;  14:45; 
John  1 :  38,  49 ;  3  :  2,  26,  etc.  The  usual 
Greek  word  in  the  gospels  as  the  title  of 
Christ  means  "  teacher."   Matt.  8  :  19  ;  9  :  11. 

Kabshakeh  (rdb'sha-keh  or  rab-shd'keh). 
An  officer — the  chief  butler  or  cupbearer — 
who  was  sent  with  Rab-saris,  the  chief  of 
the  eunuchs,  and  Tartan,  messengere  of 
the  king  of  Assyria,  to  Hezekiah,  summon- 
ing him,  in  the  most  indecent  and  blasphe- 
mous manner,  to  surrender  his  capital.  2 
Kings  18 :  17-37. 

Rachel  {rd'cheV),  an  eive.  The  daughter 
of  Laban  and  wife  of  Jacob.  Her  history 
is  given  in  Genesis,  chaps.  29-35.  She  died 
after  giving  birth  to  Benjamin,  and  was 
buried  near  the  road  from  Bethlehem  to 
Jerusalem.    Gen.  35 :  19. 

Rahab  {rd'hdb),_  large.  1.  A  woman  of 
Jericho,  who  received  and  concealed  two 
Hebrew  spies.  In  the  siege  of  the  city 
Rahab  and  her  family  were  spared  by  the 
Hebrews  from  the  general  massacre  of  the 
inhabitants.  Josh.  2 ;  6  :  17-27.  She  is 
called  "a  harlot;"  but  the  proof  of  her 
reformation  is  found  in  the  eminence  of 
her  faith.  Heb.  11  :  31 ;  Jas.  2 :  25.  She 
subsequently  married  Salmon,  a  prince  of 
Judah,  and  became  an  ancestress  of  David, 
and  appears  in  the  genealogy  of  Christ. 
Ruth  4  :  20 ;  Matt.  1  :  5.  2.  Rahab,  pride. 
An  appellation  for  Egypt,  designating  the 
insolence  and  violence  of  its  princes  and 
inhabitants.    Ps.  87  : 4  ;  89 :  10  :  Isa.  51 : 9. 

Rain.  "  Early  rain  "  sigiiifies  the  rain 
of  the  autumn,  Deut.  11:14,  and  "latter 
rain "  the  rain  of  spring.  Pro  v.  16  :  15. 
For  six  months  in  the  year,  from  May  to 
October,  no  rain  falls,  the  whole  land  be- 
comes dr}%  parched,  and  brown.  The  early 
rains  commence  about  the  latter  part  of 
182 


October,  continuing  through  November  and 
December.  Rain  continues  to  fall  more  or 
less  during  the  month  of  Marcn  ;  it  is  very 
rare  in  April.  Robinson  observes  that 
there  are  not,  at  the  present  day,  "  any  par- 
ticular periods  of  rain  or  succession  of 
sho^\•ers  which  might  be  regarded  as  dis- 
tinct rainy  seasons.  The  whole  period  from 
October  to  March  now  constitutes  only  one 
continued  season  of  rain,  without  any  reg- 
ularly intervening  term  of  prolonged  fine 
weather.  Unless,  therefore,  there  has  been 
some  change  in  the  climate  the  early  and 
the  latter  rains,  forwhicli  the  husbandman 
waited  with  longing,  seem  rather  to  have 
implied  the  first  showers  of  autumn— which 
revived  the  parched  and  thirsty  soil  and 
prepared  it  for  the  seed— and  the  later 
showers  of  spring,  which  continued  to  re- 
fresh and  forward  both  the  ripening  crops 
and  the  vernal  products  of  the  fields.  Jas. 
5:7;  Prov.  16  :  15.  The  rainbow  was  ap- 
pointed as  a  sign  that  God  would  not  again 
destroy  the  earth  by  a  flood.  Gen.  9  :  12-17. 

Raiiiah  (ra'mah),  a  hill.  1.  One  of  the 
cities  of  Benjamin.  Josh.  18  :  25.  Its  site 
is  at  er-Ram,  about  five  miles  from  Jerusa- 
lem, and  near  to  Gibeah.  Judg.  4:5;  19: 
13 ;  1  Sam.  22  :  6.  Its  people  returned  after 
the  captivity.  Ezra  2 :  26 ;  Neh.  7  :  30.  2. 
The  home  of  Elkanah,  Samuel's  father,  1 
Sam,  1 :19 ;  2  :  11,  the  birthplace  of  Samuel 
himself,  his  home  and  official  residence,  the 
site  of  his  altar,  1  Sam.  7  :  17  ;  8  :  4 ;  15  :  34  ; 
16  :  13  ;  19  :  18,  and  finallv  his  burial-place. 
1  Sam.  25  :  1 ;  28  :  3.  It  is  said  that  its 
situation  was  in  Mount  Ephraim,  1  Sam. 
1  :  1,  a  district  without  defined  boundaries. 
The  position  of  Ramah  is  a  much  disputed 
question.  The  latest  map  of  the  Palestine 
fund  places  it  a  short  distance  east  of  Beth- 
lehem. 3.  A  name  apphed  to  foui  other 
places. 

Rameses  {rdm'e-sez  or  ra-me'sez),  son  of 
the  sun).  A  province  and  city  in  Egypt ; 
called  also  Raam.ses.  Gen.  47  :  11  ;  Ex. 
12  :  ;37  ;  Num.  33  :  3,  5.  The  district  was, 
without  doubt,  identical  with  Goshen. 

Ramoth  {rd'moth),  heights,  and  Rainoth 
Gilead.  1.  A  citv  in  Gilead,  within  the 
hraits  of  the  tribe  'of  Gad,  Josh.  21  :  38 ; 
called  also  Ramah  and  Ramoth-Gilead.  2 
Kings  8  :  28,  29  ;  1  Kings  4 :  13  ;  22 : 1-37 ;  2 
Chron.  18 ;  22 : 5,  6.  It  was  one  of  the  cities 
of  refuge.  Deut.  4  :  43  ;  Josh.  20  :8 ;  1  Chron. 
6  :  80.  During  the  reigns  of  the  later  kings 
of  Israel,  Ramoth  was  the  occasion  of  sev- 
eral wars  between  them  and  the  kings  of 
Syria.  1  Kings  22  : 3  ;  2  Kings  8 :  28 ;  9  . 1.  It 
may  be  identical  with  es-Salt,  but  more 
probably  with  Gerash. 

Rebe'kah  (re-bck'ah),  a  cord  with  a  noose, 
enchaining.  The  daughter  of  Bethuel  and 
sister  of  Laban.  She  was  a  woman  of  per- 
sonal attractions  and  became  the  wife  of 
Isaac,  to  whom  late  in  life  she  bore  Esau 
and  Jacob.  Gen.  22  :  23 ;  24  :  15-67 ;  25 :  20- 
28.  Of  her  sons,  Jacob  was  Rebekah's  fa- 
vorite; and  she  persuaded  him  to  obtain 
his  father's  blessing  by  fraud.  Gen.  26 :  7, 
8,  35 ;  27.  In  consequence  Jacob  had  to 
flee  from  his  brother's  wrath  ;  and  it  is 
probable  that  Rebekah  saw  her  best-loved 


RECHABITES 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


REVELATION,  BOOK  OF 


son  no  more.  Gen.  28  :  5 ;  29  :  12 ;  35  : 8 ; 
49  :  31.    She  died  before  Isaac. 

Kecliabites  (re'kab-ltes  or  rck'ah-ltes).  A 
Kenite  tribe  descended  from  Rechab.  Jon- 
adab,  one  of  ttieir  cliiefs,  laid  an  injunc- 
tion on  liis  posterity  to  drink  no  wine,  to 
build  no  houses,  but  to  dwell  in  tents.  This 
injunction  they  obeyed  fully  for  300  yeare; 
but  upon  the  Chaldean  invasion  they  were 
forced  to  quit  the  open  country  and  live  in 
Jerusalem.  Jer.  35.  Afterwards  they  prob- 
ably withdrew  into  the  desert.  For  their 
obedience  a  promise  was  given  them  that 
their  family  should  never  be  extinct.  And 
accordingly,  at  the  present  day,  there  is  an 
Arabian  tribe  who  claim  a  descent^  from 
Rechab,  and  profess  a  modified  Judaism. 

Red  Sea.  The  Greeks  meant  by  the 
Erythraean  or  Red  Sea  not  only  the  Arabian 
Gulf  but  also  the  ocean  between  the  In- 
dian and  Arabian  peninsulas.  Some  sup- 
pose it  was  so  named  from  the  red  color  of 
the  mountains  on  the  western  shores,  some 
from  the  red  coral,  or  the  red  appearance 
of  the  water  occasioned  by  certain  zo- 
ophytes; others  tlaink  that,  as  the  Edom- 
itish  territory'  reached  down  to  this  gulf,  it 
might  be  the  Sea  of  Edom,  Edom  meaning 
red.  The  Red  Sea,  from  the  straits  of  Bab 
el-Mandeb  to  its  most  northerly  point  at 
Suez,  is  about  1400  miles  In  length,  its 
greatest  width  being  about  200  miles ;  it  is 
divided  by  the  Sinaitic  peninsula  into  two 
large  arms  or  gulfs,  the  eastern  extending 
northeast  or  northerly  about  100  miles,  with 
an  average  width  of  15  miles,  while  the 
western  extends  northwest  near  180  miles, 
with  an  average  width  of  20  miles.  The 
great  event  associated  with  the  Red  Sea  is 
the  passage  of  the  Israehtes  and  the  over- 
throw of  the  Egyptians.  Ex.  chaps.  11,  15. 
This  miraculous  event  is  frequently  re- 
ferred to  in  the  Scriptures.  Num.  33  :  8 ; 
Deut.  11:4;  Josh.  2:10;  Judg.  11:16;  2 
Sam.  22:16:  Neh.  9:9-11;  Ps.  66:6;  Isa. 
10 :  26 ;  Acts  7 :  36 ;  1  Cor.  10  : 1,  2 ;  Heb.  11 : 
29,  etc.  The  place  of  the  crossing  has  been 
a  matter  of  much  controversy.  The  head 
of  the  gulf  is  probably  at  least  50  miles 
farther  south  than  it  was  at  the  time  of  the 
Exodus.  If  the  Red  Sea  then  included  the 
Bitter  Lakes  of  Suez,  the  crossing  may 
have  been  farther  north  than  would  now 
appear  possible.  Thus  the  predictions  of 
Isaiah,  11:15;  19:5,  "The  Lord  shall  ut- 
terly destroy  the  tongue  of  the  Egyptian 
Sea,"  "  The  waters  shall  fail  from  the  sea," 
are  fulfilled.  After  crossing,  the  Israelites 
marched  down  and  encamped  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Red  Sea  (Gulf  of  Suez).  Num. 
33  :  10.  From  the  wav  of  the  Red  Sea  came 
locusts,  Ex.  10 :  12-19,  and  the  quails  which 
supplied  them  with  food  came  from  the 
same  source.  Num.  11  :  31.  They  jour- 
neyed by  the  way  of  the  Red  Sea  (the 
eastern  ai-m  or  GuLf  of  Akabah)  to  compass 
Edom.  Num.  21  :  4.  In  the  prosperous 
reign  of  Solomon  he  "  made  a  navy  of 
ships"  at  Ezion-geber  and  Elath,  which 
were  ports  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Aka- 
bah. 1  Kings  9 :  26 ;  10 :  22 ;  2  Chron.  8 :  17, 
18. 

Kehoboam  {re-ho-bu'am),  enlarges  tite 


people.  The  son  and  successor  of  Solomon. 
He  reigned  17  years,  B.  c.  975-958.  His  in- 
solent conduct  hastened  the  political  crisis 
which  resulted  in  the  division  of  the  He- 
brew kingdom  into  the  two  kingdoms  of 
Judah  and  Israel.  1  Kings  12 :  21-24  ;  14  : 
21,  31 ;  2  Chron.  10  : 1-14.  Within  five  years 
of  Rehoboam's  accession  to  the  throne,  the 
kingdom  of  Judah  was  invaded  by  Slii- 
shak,  king  of  Egypt,  who  desolated  the 
country,  and  made  it  tributary  to  Egj^pt, 
and  Shishak's  victory  is  noted  in  the  great 
temple  at  Karnak. 

K  e  li  o  b  o  t  li  {re-ho'both),  wide  places.  1. 
A  city  of  Assyria,  near  Nineveh,  founded 
by  Asshur  orNimrod.  Gen.  10  :  11, 12.  2. 
A  city  on  the  Euphrates,  Gen.  36 :  37,  sup- 
posed to  be  represented  by  the  modern 
Rahabah.  3.  A  well  belonging  to  Isaac. 
Gen.  26 :  22. 

K  e  m  p  h  a  n  (rim'/an).  Acts  7  :  43,  and 
quoted  from  Amos  5  :  26,  where  the  word  in 
Hebrew  is  "  Chiun."  It  is  probable,  there- 
fore, that  they  are  names  for  a  god  wor- 
shipped secretly  by  the  Israelites  in  Egypt 
and  in  the  wilderness,  answering,  probably, 
to  Saturn  or  Moloch,  the  star-god. 

Kephaim  (r?ph'a-1m  or  re-phd'im),  Val- 
ley of.  Josh.  15  : 8 ;  18  :  16 ;  and  translated 
"the  valley  of  the  giants"  in  the  A.  V., 
but  vale  of  "Rephaim"  in  the  R.  V.  It 
was  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  land  of 
Judah,  named  after  the  Rephaim,  or  "  gi- 
ants," who  at  an  early  period  were  found 
on  both  sides  of  the  Jordan.  Comp.  Gen. 
14  :  5  ;  Deut.  3  :  11-13 ;  Josh.  13  :  12 ;  17 :  15. 
David  twice  defeated  the  Phihstines  in  this 
valley.  2  Sam.  5  :  17-25  ;  23  :  13 ;  1  Chron. 
11 :  15, 16 ;  14  :  9-16.  The  valley  was  noted 
for  its  fertility.  Isa.  17  : 5.  Its  position  as 
a  boundary  of  Judah  would  indicate  it  to 
have  been  south  of  the  valley  of  Hinnom. 

Kepliidim  {rtf'i-dUuj,  resting-place.  A 
station  of  the  Hebrews  before  reaching 
Sinai.  Num.  33  :  14,  15.  Near  it  was  the 
fountain  which  flowed  from  the  rock  in 
Horeb,  called  "Meribah,"  and"Massah," 
whence  they  were  miraculously  supphed 
with  water.  Ex.  17 ;  19  :  2.  It  may  have 
been  in  V.^ady  Feiran  or  in  some  part  of 
Wady  esh-Sheikh.    See  Journeys  of  Israel. 

Reuben  {rea'ben),  behold  a  son :  The 
eldest  son  of  Jacob  and  Leah.  Gen.  29  :  32 ; 
Deut.  33  :  6.  He  was  deprived  of  the  priv- 
ileges of  his  birthright,  in  consequence  of 
his  improper  intercourse  with  Bilhah,  his 
father's  concubine.  Gen.  35  :  22 ;  49  :  3,  4. 
The  portion  of  the  Promised  Land  assigned 
to  the  tribe  of  Reuben  lay  on  the  east  of 
the  Jordan,  in  the  district  now  called  the 
Belka,  and  is  still  famous  for  its  fine  pas- 
ture lands,  as  in  ancient  times.  Num.  32  : 
1-38 ;  34 :  14 ;  Josh.  1 :  12-18 ;   Deut.  3  :  12-16. 

Revelation,  Book  of.  This  book,  fre- 
quently called  by  its  Greek  name,  the  Apoc- 
alypse, was  written  by  John  the  apostle  and 
the  evangelist,  about  a.  d.  95.  "  This  is  the 
last  and  the  most  mysterious  book  of  the 
Bible.  It  is  the  divine  seal  of  the  whole.  It  is 
for  the  New  Testament  what  Daniel  is  for 
the  Old  Testament.  It  gathers  up  all  the  for- 
mer prophecies  and  extends  them  to  the 
remotest  future.  It  represents  the  churcb 
183 


REZIN 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ROME 


in  conflict  with  the  great  secular  powers. 
}t  unrolls  a  subhme  panorama  of  Christ's 
viL'torious  march  through  the  world's  his- 
tory till  the  appearance  of  the  new  heaven 
and  the  new  earth,  when  tiie  aim  of  crea- 
tion and  redemption  shall  be  fully  reaUzed. 
The  theme  is  the  divine  promise,  '  I  come 
quickly,'  with  the  corresponding  human 
prayer,  'Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus.'  It 
gives  us  the  assurance  that  the  Lord  is 
coming  in  every  great  event,  and  overrules 
all  things  for  his  glory  and  the  ultimate 
triumph  of  his  kingdom."— ,S'c/ic# 

liezin  {re'zin),  stable,  firm.  1.  King  of 
Damascus ;  allied  himself  with  Pekah  and 
defeated  Ahaz,  but  was  himself  defeated 
by  Tiglath-pileser  II.,  his  capital  destroyed 
and  his  people  carried  away  into  captivity. 
2  Kings  15 :  37  ;  16:5-9;  Isa.  7:1-8;  8:(i;  9: 
11.  2.  One  whose  descendants  returned 
with  Zerubbabel.    Ezra  2  :  48  ;  Keh.  7  :  50. 

Kezon  {rc'zon),  prioice.  Son  of  Ehaclah, 
a  Syrian,  who  when  David  defeated  Ha- 
dadezer  king  of  Zobah,  put  himself  at  the 
head  of  a  band  of  adventurers  and  set  up 
a  petty  kingdom  at  Damascus.  1  Kings  11 : 
23.  He  harassed  the  kingdom  of  Solomon 
during  his  whole  reign. 

Kliegium  (re'ji-um),  breach.  A  city  on 
the  coast  near  the  southwestern  end  of 
Italy.  Paul  was  detained  at  this  place  for 
a  day  when  on  his  voyage  to  Rome.  Acts 
28 :  13.  It  is  now  called  Rheggio,  the  cap- 
ital of  Calabria,  having  about  10,000  inhab- 

Khodes  {rudz),  a  rose.  A  noted  island  in 
the  Mediterranean,  13  miles  from  the  coast 
of  Asia  Minor.  Paul  visited  it  on  his  return 
from  his  third  missionary  journey.  Acts 
21 : 1.  He  might  have  there  seen  fragments 
of  the  greatest  of  the  Seven  Wonders  of 
the  world— the  famous  Colossus  of  Rhodes. 
This  was  made  of  brass,  and  was  105  feet 
high.  It  stood  at  the  right  of  the  port  as 
vessels  entered,  and  not  astride  the  chan- 
nel, as  so  generally  represented  in  pictures. 
It  was  erected  B.  c.  290,  and  overthrown  by 
an  earthquake  B.  c.  224.  The  modern  city 
is  a  place  of  considerable  trade. 

K  i  b  1  a  li  {rWlah),  fertility.  An  ancient 
city  in  the  northeastern  frontier  of  Canaan. 
Num.  34  :  10,  11.  The  ancient  town  was 
upon  the  great  road  from  Palestine  to  Bab- 
ylon, and  was  a  convenient  military  head- 
quarters for  the  Babylonian  kings  and  oth- 
ers invading  the  country.  Here  the  Egyp- 
tian king  Pharaoh-nechoh  put  Jehoahaz 
in  chains  and  made  Eliakim  king,  and 
here  Nebuchadnezzar  brought  Zedekiah, 
murdered  his  sons  before  his  eyes,  and  then 
put  out  his  eyes  and  bound  him  in  chains 
to  be  carried  to  Babylon.  2  Kings  23  :  29- 
35  ;  25 : 1-7 ;  Jer.  39  : 5-7.  Riblah  is  now  a 
mean  and  poor  village. 

Kim  mo  11  {rtm'mon),  pomegranate.  1. 
The  name  of  an  idol  worshipped  in  Damas- 
cus. 2  Kings  5  :  18.  See  Naaman.  2.  A 
Benjamite,  father  of  the  two  men  who 
slew  Ish-bosheth.  2  Sam.  4  :  2,  5,  9.  3.  A 
town  in  Judah,  afterward  given  to  Simeon. 
Josh.  15  :  21,  32  ;  19  :  7 :  1  Chron.  4  .  32 ;  Neh. 
11 :  29 ;  Zech.  14 :  10.    4.  A  Levitical  city  in 

Zebulun.    1  Chron.  G  :  77,  R.  V.,  Rimmono. 
184 


It  is  also  called  Remmon-methoar.  Josh. 
19  :  13  A.  V.  It  is  identified  with  the  present 
village  Rummaneh,  about  six  miles  north 
of  Nazareth.  5.  A  rock  whither  the  600 
sur\'iving  Benjamites  retreated  after  the 
slaughter  of  their  tribe.  Judg.  20  :  45,  47 ; 
21 :  13. 

Rizpali  {rlz'pah),  a  coal,  a  hot  stone  for 
baking.  A  concubine  of  Saul  whom  Abner 
was  accused  for  appropriating,  as  if  thereby 
aiming  at  the  crown.  2  Sam.  3 : 7.  This 
caused  a  breach  between  him  and  Ish- 
bosheth.  Her  two  sons  were  delivered  to 
the  Gibeonites  to  be  hanged  :  and  the  story 
of  her  affection  as  she  watched  her  dead 
is  pecuharly  touching.    2  Sam.  21 : 8-11. 

Roman  JEmpire.  The  empire  of  Rome 
succeeded  the  Macedonian  empire  founded 
by  Phihp  and  Alexander.  It  controlled 
the  greater  part  of  the  then  known  Avorld. 
The  references  to  the  Roman  dominion  in 
the  Bible  chiefly  allude  to  the  empire  in  its 
earher  history,  including  the  reigns  of  Au- 
gustus, Tiberius,  Claudius,  and  Nero.  The 
extent  and  power  of  the  empire  during 
this  period  were  greater  than  at  any  earlier 
and  possibly  than  at  any  later  time.  It 
reached  to  the  Atlantic  "on  the  west,  the 
Euphrates  on  the  east,  the  African  desert, 
the  Nile  cataracts,  and  the  Arabian  deserts 
on  the  south,  the  Rhine,  the  Danube,  and 
the  Black  Sea  on  the  north.  It  also  con- 
quered Great  Britain.  Augustus  divided 
the  i>rovinces  into  two  classes— 1.  Imperial. 
2.  Senatorial.  These  divisions  are  recog- 
nized in  the  New  Testament.  The  ruler  of 
a  senatorial  province  is  "  proconsul,''  and 
of  an  imperial  province  a  "governor." 
Thus  Cyrenius  was  governor  of  Syria. 
Luke  2  :"2.  Pilate,  Felix,  and  Festus  are 
spoken  of  as  "  governors,"  that  is,  procu- 
rators, of  Judfea.  Matt.  27 ;  2 ;  Acts  23  :  24 ; 
24 :  27. 

Romans  {rd'7nanz),  Epistle  to.  It 
was  written  at  Corinth,  a.  d.  58,  as  Paul 
was  leaving  that  city  for  Jerusalem.  Rom. 
15 :  25  ;  comp.  Acts  20  :  2,  3,  16 ;  Rom.  16  : 1, 
23;  1  Cor.  1:14;  2  Tim.  4:20.  It  is  the 
fullest  exposition  of  the  great  truth  that 
the  gospel  is  the  power  of  .salvation  unto 
all  who  believe.  This  epistle  is  designed 
to  correct  certain  misapprehensions,  and 
to  show  that  the  system  of  Jewish  rites  and 
ceremonies  is  done  away  by  the  gospel  dis- 
pensation, and  that  the  way  of  salvation 
through  Christ  is  opened  alike  to  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  and  that  whosoever  will  may 
come  directly  and  hopefully  to  Jesus  Christ 
for  salvation  and  pardon  from  sin. 

Rome  {rdme).  In  the  New  Testament 
times  Rome  was  the  capital  of  the  empire 
in  its  greatest  prosperity.  Among  its  inhab- 
itants were  many  Jews.  Acts  28  :  17.  They 
had  received  the  liberty  of  worship  and 
other  privileges  from  Csesar,  and  lived  in 
the  district  across  the  Tiber.  We  know  that 
as  early  as  a.  d.  64,  eight  or  ten  years  after 
a  church  was  established  there  and  ad- 
dressed by  Paul,  Rom.  1.8:  16  :  19,  the  em- 
peror Nero  commenced  a  furious  persecu- 
tion against  its  members,  which  the  em- 
!  peror  Domitian  renewed  a.  d.  81,  and  the 
1  emperor  Trajan  carried  out  with  implaca- 


RUTH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


SABBATH 


ble  malice,  a.  d.  97-117.  Seasons  of  suffer- 
ing and  repose  succeeded  each  other  alter- 
nately until  the  reign  of  Constantine,  a.  d. 
o'25,  \vhen  Christianity  was  established  as 
the  religion  of  the  empire.  Within  the 
gardens  of  Nero  in  the  Neronian  persecu- 
tion, A.  D.  64,  after  the  great  conflagration. 
Christians,  wrapped  in  skins  of  beasts,  were 
torn  by  dogs,  or,  clothed  in  inflammable 
stuffs,  were  burnt  as  torches  during  the 
midnight  games ;  others  were  crucitied.  In 
the  Colosseum,  a  vast  theatre,  games  of 
various  sorts  and  gladiatorial  shows  were 
held,  and  within  its  arena  many  Christians, 
during  the  ages  of  persecution,  fought  with 
wild  beasts,  and  many  were  slain  for  their 
faith.  The  catacomlDs'are  vast  subterranean 
galleries  (whether  originally  sand-pits  or 
excavations  is  uncertain).  Their  usual 
height  is  from  eight  to  ten  feet,  and  their 
width  from  four  to  six  feet,  and  they  extend 
for  miles,  especially  in  the  region  of  the  Ap- 
piau  and  Nomentane  Ways.  The  cata- 
combs were  early  used  by  the  Christians  as 
places  of  refuge,  worship,  and  burial.  More 
than  four  thousand  inscriptions  have  been 
found  in  these  subterranean  passages,  which 
are  considered  as  belonguig  to  the  period 
between  the  reign  of  Tiberius  and  that  of 
the  emperor  Constantine.  Among  the  old- 
est of  the  inscriptions  in  the  catacombs  is 
one  dated  a.  d.  71.  Rome,  as  a  pei-secuting 
power,  is  referred  to  by  the  "  seven  heads  " 
and  "  seven  mountains"  in  Rev.  17  : 9,  and 
is  probably  described  under  the  name  of 
"Babylon'"  elsewhere  in  the  same  book. 
Rev.  14 :  8 ;  16  :  19  ;  17  : 5  ;  18  :  2,  21. 

Kutli  {ruth),  a  friend,  or,  according  to 
others,  beauty.  Ruth  1:4.  A  Moabitish 
woman  who  married  a  son  of  Naomi  and  left 
her  own  country  to  follow  her  mother-in- 
law  into  Judaea.  Her  kindness  was  abun- 
dantly rewarded,  as  she  soon  after  married 
Boaz,  and  became  the  ancestor  of  the  royal 
family  of  David,  and  appeare  in  the  gen- 
ealogy of  Christ.    Matt.  1 : 5. 

Kutli,  Book  of.  This  beautiful  narra- 
tive belongs  to  the  period  of  the  Judges. 
Ruth  1  :  1.  The  object  of  the  writer  was  to 
trace  the  genealogy  of  David,  and  his  de- 
scent from  a  Moabitish  mother,  who  had 
been  redueed  to  extreme  poverty.  The 
simplicity,  integrity,  and  kind  feeUngs  of 
the  principal  persons  exhibited  are  alto- 
gether remarkable ;  and  the  narrative 
shows  that  David  had  at  least  some  ances- 
tors who  were  nature's  noblemen.  1  Chron. 
2:11,12.  Tfie  writer  of  the  book  is  not 
known,  but  the  Hebrews  ascribed  it  to  Sam- 
uel. 

Kye.  The  word,  so  rendered  in  Exod.  9  : 
32 ;  Isa.  28  :  25,  A.  V.,  is  translated  "  fitches  " 
in  Ezek.  4  :9,  "spelt"  in  the  margin.  There 
is  little  doubt  that  the  plant  intended  by 
the  Hebrew  word  is  not  rye,  but  spelt,  as  it 
is  translated  in  the  R.  V. 


Sabaclithani  {sa-bdk'tha-m,  or  sd'bak- 
thd'nl),  thou  hast  forsaken  ine.  One  of  the 
wprds  uttered  by  Christ  on  the  cross.    Matt. 


27 :  46 ;  Mark  15  :  34.   It  is  part  of  the  phrase 
which  is  in  Syro-Chaldee. 

Sabaotli  {scWa-oth  or  sa-bd'oth),  hoda. 
The  fjhrase  "Lord  of  Sabaoth"  occui'S 
twice  in  the  New  Testament,  in  Rom.  9 ; 
29  and  James  5:4.  It  should  not  be  mis- 
taken as  referring  to  the  Sabbath.  But  it  is 
the  Greek  traushteration  of  the  Hebrew 
Tsebaoth,  "hosts"  or  *'' armies,"  so  often  re- 
curring in  the  Old  Testament,  "the  Lord 
of  hosts,"  Isa.  1 :  9,  "the  Lord  God  of  hosts,' 
L  e.,  the  heavenly  bodies,  the  angels,  or  the 
people  of  God. 

Sabbath  (rest).  Ex.  16 :  23.  The  institu- 
tion of  a  day  of  rest  is  founded  in  man's 
nature,  and  dates  back  to  Paradise.  Gen. 
2  :  2,  3.  The  term  is  used  of  days  or  times, 
generally  every  seventh  day,  or  a  seventh 
portion  of  time,  separated  and  sanctified  for 
God's  service.  Lev.  19  : 3,  30 ;  25  : 4,  and  in 
the  original  text  of  the  New  Testament  for 
a  whole  week.  Matt.  28  : 1 ;  Mark  16 : 2 ; 
Luke24:l;  John  20:1;  Acts  20: 7;  1  Cor. 
16  : 2.  In  a  spiritual  sense  it  designates  the 
eternal  rest  in  heaven.  Heb.  4 ;  9  margin, 
and  Greek.  The  fourth  commandment, 
Ex.  20 :  8-11 ;  Deut.  5  :  12-15,.  enjoins  no  spe- 
cific rehgious  serWce,  except  in  the  gen- 
eral direction  to  keep  it  holy.  Subse- 
quent legislation  made  it  a  day  of  holy 
convociition.  The  sacrifices  of  the  tem- 
ple were  doubled;  the  shew-bread  was 
changed;  the  inner  court  of  the  temple 
was  opened  for  solemn  services :  the  proph- 
ets and  the  Levites  took  the  occasion  for 
imparting  religious  instruction  to  the  peo- 
ple. It  was  a  day  of  holy  joy.  Indeed,  the 
fear  was  that  the  day  would  be  "  wasted  by 
idleness  and  degraded  by  sensuahty  and 
drunkenness,"  because  it  was  so  joyous. 
Neh.  8  : 9-12 ;  Ho.s.  2  :  11.  Christ  kept  the 
Sabbath  in  the  highest  sense  of  the  term. 
He  observed  every  jot  and  tittle  of  the  Mo- 
saic Law  in  tlie  freedom  of  the  spirit. 
From  him  we  learn  that  acts  of  necessity 
and  mercy  are  to  be  performed  on  that  day, 
but  that  worldly  occupations  are  to  be  put 
as  far  as  possible  out  of  our  thoughts.  It  is 
true  we  transfer  the  observance  of  the  Sab- 
bath to  the  first  day  of  the  week,  but  we  do 
not  thereby  violate  the  spirit  of  the  divine 
law  ;  for  what  God  asked  for  was  the  seventh 
of  our  entire  time.  \\'e  have  a  warrant 
for  this  change.  Upon  the  first  day  of  the 
week  Christ  arose  from  the  dead.  We  find 
the  disciples,  before  the  Ascension,  assem- 
bled on  that  day,  and  Jesus  appeared  to 
them.  John  20  :  26.  According  to  tradition, 
wliich  is  confirmed  by  every  probability, 
the  outpouring  of  the"  Holy  Ghost  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost  was  on  Sunday.  Paul 
preached  at  Troas  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week— evidently,  among  those  Christians, 
the  day  of  religious  service.  Acts  20 :  7. 
Paul  tells  the  Corinthians  that  every  one  is 
to  lay  by  him  in  store  upon  the  first  day  of 
the  week  as  he  is  prospered.  1  Cor.  16  : 2. 
It  Avas  upon  the  Lord's  day— and  by  this 
name  he  calls  it — that  John  on  Patmos  saw 
through  the  opened  door  into  heaven.  Rev. 
1:10.  Around  the  Lord's  day  we  do  well 
to  throw  safeguards.  It  is,  in  a  sense,  the 
palladium  of  Christian  hberty.  The  vari- 
185 


SABEANS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY     SALT  SEA  OR  DEAD  SEA 


ous  states  and  cities  have  good  laws  for  the 
protection  of  the  civil  Sabbath  and  against 
its  open  desecration.  Tlie  American 
churches  are  unanimously  in  favor  of  a 
quiet  Sabbath,  in  opposition  to  the  evils  of 
the  so-called  "  continental  Sunday,"  and 
earnest  efforts  have  been  made  to  protect 
us  against  them.    See  Lord's  Day. 

Sabeans  (sa-be'anz).  1.  Descendants  of 
Seba.  Isa.  45 :  14.  It  should  be  simply 
"  people  of  Seba,"  son  of  Cush.  2.  In  Juel 
3:8  the  descendants  of  Sheba,  son  of  Jok- 
tan,  are  meant.  Possibly  a  third  tribe  i.s 
spoken  of  in  Job  1  -.  15.  The  translation 
"Sabeans"  in  Ezek.  2o'.42  is  incorrect; 
read  "drunkards,"  as  in  the  margin  and  in 
the  R.  V. 

Sackbut.  A  musical  instrument.  The 
word  thus  (probably  erroneously)  translated, 
sabbecd,  occurs  only  in  Daniel.  Dan.  o :  o.  7, 
10,  15.  It  seems  really  to  have  been  a  tri- 
angular instrument  with  four  or  more 
strings,  played  on  with  the  fingers,  and 
emitting  a  sharp,  clear  sound. 

Sackcloth.  A  coar.se  black  cloth  com- 
monly made  of  hair,  Rev.  6 :  12,  such  as 
that  of  goats  or  camels.  It  was  used  for 
straining  liquids,  for  sacks,  and  for  mourn- 
ing garments.  Sometimes  it  was  worn  un- 
der the  ordinary  clothes,  bound  upon  the 
loins,  or  instead  of  any  other  kind  of  dress ; 
occasionally  it  was  synead  on  the  ground  to 
be  lain  upon.  Gen.  37  :  34 ;  1  Kings  21  :  27  ; 
2  Kings  6  :  30;  Isa.  58  : 5  ;  Joel  1:8;  Jonah 
3:5.  6,  8.  Deep  sorrow  was  hence  denoted 
by  sackcloth  and  ashes.  Matt.  11:  21.  Such 
garments  were  sometimes  the  dress  of 
prophets  and  ascetics.  Isa.  20  : 2 ;  Zech. 
13 : 4. 

Sacrifice.  Gen.  31 :  54.  Sacrifices  were 
in  use  from  the  earhest  periods  of  the 
world,  and  among  all  nations.  The  uni- 
versaUty  of  sacrificial  rites  is  a  powerful  ar- 
gument on  behalf  of  their  naturalness  ; 
they  meet  the  demand  of  the  sinner  for 
sonie  way  of  appeasing  the  offended  divin- 
ity. But  Christians  have  no  need  of  them, 
simply  because  of  the  one  perfect  Sacrifice 
once  off'ered  on  the  cross.  See  Offerings, 
Altar,  and  Liaiiib. 

Sadducees  {sCtd'dti-seez).  One  of  the 
Jewish  sects  of  which  we  read  in  the  New 
Testament.  They  were  in  sharp  opposition 
to  the  Pharisees,  but  ready  to  work  ^^'ith 
them  against  the  person  and  teaching  of 
Jesus.  Their  origin  is  involved  in  some  ob- 
scurity ;  probably  sprung  from  Zadok.  See 
Bissell's  Biblical  Antiquities.  The  tenets 
of  the  Sadducees  may  be  gathered  from  the 
notices  we  have  of  them  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, illustrated  by  the  account  given  by 
Josephus,  Anliq.  lib."  xiii.  5,  §  9,  10,  §  6,  lib. 
xviii.  1,  g  4.  They  disregarded  the  traditions 
and  unwritten  laws  Avhich  the  Pharisees 
prized  so  highly,  and  professed  to  take  the 
Scriptures  as  the  sole  authoritative  guide  of 
religion.  They  denied  the  existence  of 
angels  and  spirits,  and  maintained  that 
there  was  no  resurrection,  INIatt.  22 :  23 ; 
Acts  23  : 8,  the  soul  according  to  them  dying 
with  the  body  ;  hence  they  denied  a  future 
state  of  reward  or  punishment.  It  was  their 
maxim  therefore  that  actions  to  be  virtuous 


must  not  be  done  in  hope  of  recompense. 
Another  piinciple  of  their  belief  was  the 
absolute  freedom  of  man's  will,  so  that  he 
had  full  power  of  himself  to  do  good  or  evil 
as  he  chose  ;  and  then  only  could  his  actions 
have  a  moral  value.  But  this  view  was 
pushed  so  far  as  almost  entirely  to  exclude 
the  divine  interposition  in  the  "government 
of  the  world.  The  Sadducees  were  not  so 
numerous  as  the  Pharisees  ;  nor  were  their 
tenets  so  acceptable  to  the  people.  Yet 
many  of  their  body  were  men  of  wealth 
and  influence.  They  were  ibund  in  the  su- 
preme council ;  and  in  the  time  of  Christ 
and  the  apostles  a  Sadducee  filled  the  ottice 
of  high  priest.  Acts  4:1;  5  :  17  ;  23  :  G.  Their 
party  had,  moreover,  a  political  complex- 
ion :  they  were  austere,  it  may  be  added, 
in  their  habits,  and  severe  in  the  adminis- 
tration of  justice.  After  the  first  century 
of  the  Christian  era  they  disappear  from 
history. 

Salaniis  (sdl'a-m'is),  peaceful,  or  beaten. 
A  sea-port  town  with  a  good  harbor,  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  Cyprus.  It  was  visited  by 
Paul  and  Barnabas  on  their  first  missionary 
journey.  Acts  13  : 5.  The  city  was  once 
the  capital  of  Cyprus,  and  st'ood  on  the 
north  side  of  the  "river  Pediaeus.  Its  site  is 
now  traced  by  broken  cisterns  and  col- 
umns and  the  foundations  of  ancient  build- 
ings. The  ruins  are  known  as  Old  Eama- 
gusta. 

Salem  (sd'lem),  peace.  The  city  of  Mel- 
chizedek.  Gen.  14  :  18  ;  Heb.  7  : 1,  2.  Jew- 
ish commentators  affirm  that  Salem  is 
Jerusalem,  on  the  ground  that  Jerusalem 
is  so  called  in  Ps.  76  :  2.  Nearly  all  Jewish 
commentators  hold  this  opinion.  Jerome, 
however,  states  that  the  Salem  of  Melchiz- 
edek  was  not  Jerusalem,  but  a  town  eight 
Roman  miles  south  of  Scythopolis,  and 
identifies  it  with  Salim,  where  John  bap- 
tized.   See  Salim. 

Salim  (sd'Um),  j)eace  or  fountains?  A 
place  named  to  mark  the  locality  of  .-Enon, 
where  John  baptized.  John  3  :  23.  Some 
identify  it  with  Salem.  Eusebius  and  Je- 
rome mention  Salim  as  near  the  Jordan, 
eight  Roman  miles  south  of  Scythopolis. 
Robinson  suggested  that  it  was  identical 
with  the  village  of  SaUm,  three  miles  east 
of  Nabliis, 

Salmon  (sal'mon),  shady.  Ps.  r)8  :  14,  A.' 
v.,  or  Zalmon.  Judg.  9 :  48.  This  was 
one  of  the  high  hills  which  environed  the 
ancient  Shechem  and  afforded  pasturage 
for  Jacob's  flocks. 

Salome  {sa-lome';  Greek  and  Latin,  Sa- 
lu'me.  1.  The  wife  of  Zebedee,  and  the 
mother  of  James  the  elder  and  John  the 
Evangelist,  and  was  one  of  the  followers 
of  Christ,  Matt.  27  :  56 ;  Mark  15 :  40 ;  16  :  1, 
though  slie  seems,  like  many  others,  to 
have  at  first  mistaken  the  true  nature  of 
his  kingdom.  Matt.  20 :  21.  2.  The  name 
of  the  daughter  of  Herodias,  who  danced 
before  Herod.  Matt.  14  :  6  ;  Mark  6  :  22. 
She  is  not  named  in  the  New  Testament, 
but  is  bv  Josephus. 

Salt.    See  Lev.  2:13;  Matt.  5  :  13. 

Salt  Sea  or  Dead  Sea.  Names.  This 
sea  is  called  in  the  Scriptures  the  "  sea  of 


SALT,  VALLEY  OF 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


SAMARIA 


the  plain,"  R.V.  "of  the  Arabah,"  Deut. 
4  :  49  ;  2  Kings  14  :  25 ;  the  "  salt  sea,"  Deut. 
3 :  17  :  Josh  8  :  16 ;  12 :  3  ;  the  "  east  sea," 
Joel  2 :  20 ;  Ezek.  47  :  18 ;  Zech.  14 :  8 ;  and 
"the  sea,"  Ezek.  47  :8.  It  also  appears  as 
the  "vale  of  Siddim."  Gen.  14:3.  The 
title  "  Dead  Sea"  is  not  found  in  Jewish 
writers,  but  was  introduced  at  an  early  pe- 
riod by  the  Greek  authors.  This  remark- 
able sheet  of  water  is  of  an  elongated  oval 
shape ;  but  the  regularity  of  the  tigure  is 
broken  by  a  large  peninsula  projecting 
from  the  eastern  shore  near  to  the  southern 
end,  dividing  the  whole  into  two  reaches 
which  communicate  by  a  somewhat  nar- 
row channel.  The  extreme  length  is  about 
46  miles,  the  greatest  breadth  above  ten 
miles.  The  superficial  area  has  been  esti- 
mated at  about  300  square  miles ;  but,  as  it 
would  seena  that  the  water  does  not  con- 
stantly stand  at  the  same  level,  that  car- 
ried o'ff  by  evaporation  not  always  balanc- 
ing that  brought  in  by  streams,  the  dimen- 
sions of  the  lake  are  subject  to  not  incon- 
siderable variation.  A  line  of  drift-wood 
encircles  the  lake,  branches  and  Umbs  of 
trees,  brought  down  by  the  Jordan  and 
other  torrents,  and  marking  the  highest 
level  of  the  water.  There  is  a  salt  and 
stony  plain  at  the  northeast  corner,  but 
the  eastern  side  has  been  less  explored. 
The  Jordan,  also,  and  various  streams  east 
and  west  empty  themselves  into  it.  And, 
as  there  is  no  outlet,  the  waters  are  in- 
tensely salt.  Its  specific  gravity  is  therefore 
higher  than  that  of  the  ocean,  so  that  per- 
sons unable  to  swim  elsewhere  cannot  sink 
in  this  lake.  It  was  once  imagined  that 
life  could  not  subsist  above  it.  The  waters 
were  said  to  be  almost  motionless,  and 
their  steam  pernicious.  Birds  and  wild 
fowl  are  found  on  it,  but  no  fish  in  it. 
The  most  extraordinary  fact  in  regard 
to  the  Dead  Sea  is  that  it  lies  in  so  deep 
a  cleft  among  its  mountains  that  its  sur- 
face is  about  1293,  or  according  to  Lynch 
1316,  feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterra- 
nean. The  Jordan  flows  through  a  sunken 
valley,  the  fall  along  its  course  being  rapid 
and  considerable,  till  it  reaches  its  lowest 
point  in  this  lake.  Moreover,  the  depth 
of  the  water  of  the  lake  is  very  great, 
1310  feet  at  its  deepest  point  towards  the 
northern  end  ;  the  southern  end  is  shallow. 
The  cities  of  the  plain,  which  were  de- 
stroyed by  "brimstone  and  fire  from  the 
Lord  out  of  heaven."  were  near  the  Dead 
Sea.  Gen.  19  :  24.  The  supposition  formerly 
most  common  was  that  these  cities  were 
submerged  by  the  waters  of  the  sea  at 
the  time  of  the  great  catastrophe — a  the- 
ory which  appears  to  be  inconsistent  with 
the  geological  and  physical  character  of 
the  region.    See  Sodoiii. 

Salt,  Valley  of.  Apparently  the  Ghor 
or  valley  at  the  south\\'estern  extremity  of 
the  Dead  Sea,  adjacent  to  the  mountain  of 
salt ;  where  the  Hebrews  gained  two  deci- 
sive victories  over  the  Edornites.  The  "Syr- 
ians "  is  read  in  2  Sam.  8 :  13,  by  a  copy- 
ist's error.  1  Chron.  18 :  12 :  2  Kings  14  •.  7  ; 
2  Chron.  25 :  11.  In  this  neighborhood  lay 
also  the  City  of  Salt.    Josh.  15  :  61,  62. 


Salute,  Matt.  10  :  12  ;  Salutation,  Luke 

1 :  41.  The  salutations  of  the  Jews  were 
usually  of  a  religious  character— at  least, 
in  form— and  were  attended  with  much 
ceremony,  as  they  are  to  this  day  among 
the  orientals.  Sometimes  there  was  noth- 
ing but  the  simple  exclamation,  "The 
Lord  be  with  you ! "  or  "  Peace  be  with 
you ! "  To  this  last  and  most  commcni 
form  striking  allusion  is  made  by  our  Sa- 
viour. John  14  :  27  ;  20  :  19,  26.  It  passed 
into  the  epistolary  salutation.  Rom.  1 :  7, 
etc.  The  time  occupied  in  the  ceremonies 
of  salutation,  repeatedly  bowing,  kissing 
the  beard,  etc.,  was  often  very  considera- 
ble. Gen.  33 :  3, 4,  and  hence  the  caution  in 
2  Kings  4  :  29 ;  Luke  10 :  4,  against  saluting. 
Samaria  {sa-md'ri-ah ;  Lat.  mm'a-ri'ah), 
tvatch-post.  A  city  and  district  of  Palestine. 
The  city  was  founded  by  Omri,  1  Kings 
16 :  23,  24.  The  palace  at  Tirzah,  where  the 
preceding  monarch  had  resided,  was  burnt 
by  Zlmri.  A  hill  admirably  adapted  for 
the  site  of  a  great  city  and  capital  be- 
longed to  Shemer.  Omri  purchased  it  for 
two  talents  of  silver;  and  the  city  that 
he  built  thereon  he  called  "  Samaria," 
after  the  name  of  the  former  owner.  1 
Kings  16  :  18, 23, 24.  Thenceforth  it  was  the 
metropolis  of  the  northern  kingdom,  the 
rival  of  Jerusalem,  and  generally  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Israelitish  monarchs,  1  Kings 
16  :  29  ;  20  :  43 ;  2  Kings  1  .  2,  though  they 
had  also  a  palace  at  Jezreel.  1  Kings  21 : 1 : 
2  Kings  8  :  29.  The  worship  of  Baal  v.'as 
set  up  in  Samaria  by  Ahab,  who  built 
there  an  altar  and  a  temple  to  the  idol-god, 
1  Kings  16 ;  32,  which  were  destroyed  by 
Jehu.  2  Kings  10 :  18-28.  Samaria  was  un- 
successfully besieged  by  the  Syrians  in  the 
reigns  of  Ahab  and  Joram.  1  Kings  20 : 1- 
21  ;  2  Kings  6  :  24-33 ;  7.  It  was  ultimately 
taken  by  the  Assyrians  after  a  siege  of  three 
years  in  the  reign  of  Hoshea.  2"Kings  17 : 
5,  6;  18:9,  10.  The  inhabitants  w'ere  car- 
ried into  captivity  and  colonists  put  in  their 
place.  2  Kings  i7  :  24 ;  Ezra  4  :  9,  10.  The 
city  was  taken  by  Alexander  the  Great, 
who  placed  a  body  of  Syro-Macedonians  in 
it.  Subsequently  Samaria  was  utterly  de- 
stroyed by  John'  Hyrcanus.  It  must,  "how- 
ever, have  been  rebuilt;  for  in  the  time  of 
Alexander  Janneeus  it  was  reckoned  one 
of  the  cities  possessed  by  the  Jews.  Pom- 
pey  assigned  it  to  the  province  of  Syria. 
Augustus  gave  it  to  Herod  the  Great,  who 
adorned  it,  settled  a  colony  of  veterans 
there,  and  strengthened  its  defences.  He 
also  gave  it  the  name  of  Sebaste  in  honor 
of  the  emperor— Sebastos  being  the  Greek 
equivalent  of  Augustus.  But  it  began  to 
decay,  overshadowed  by  its  neighbor  Nab- 
lous.'and  it  is  now  but  a  mass  of  ruins,  ad- 
jacent to  the  modern  village  of  Sebustieh. 
Samaria  was  gloriously  beautiful,  "  a  crown 
of  pride,"  Isa.  28  :  1,  upon  its  fruitful  hill. 
"  The  site  of  this  celebrated  capital,"  says 
Dr.  Thomson,  "is  delightful,  by  univer- 
sal consent."  The  name  Samaria  is  often 
applied  to  the  northern  kingdom.  Thus 
the  sovereigns  are  called  kings  of  Samaria 
as  well  as  of  Israel,  1  Kings  21 : 1 ;  2  Kings 
1,  3 ;  and  we  also  read  of  "  the  cities  of  Sa- 
187 


SAMARITANS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SARAH 


maria."  2  Kings  17  :  24.  In  New  Testa- 
ment times  Samaria  was  one  of  the  Roman 
divisions  of  Palestine  lying  between  Gali- 
lee and  Judsea ;  so  that  any  one  who  would 
pass  straight  from  one  of  these  provinces 
to  the  other  "must  needs  go  through  Sa- 
maria." John  4: 4.  It  occupied  the  ancient 
territories  of  the  tiibes  of  Ephraim  and 
western  JSIanasseh. 

Samaritans  {sa-mdr'i-tanz).  2  Kings  17 : 
29 ;  comp.  vs.  9-12.  In  the  New  Testament 
the  word  denotes  the  mixed  race  wlaich 
sprang  from  the  remnant  of  Israel  and  the 
colonists  brought  from  various  parts  of  As- 
svria  at  the  captivity.  2  Kings  17  :  23,  24. 
The  colonists  hved  at  first  in  heathenism  ; 
but  they  afterwards  sought  to  propitiate 
"  the  god  of  the  land  "  by  bringing  back  an 
Israelitish  priest  to  Bethel,  and  minghng 
with  their  own  idolatries  a  corrupt  worship 
of  Jehovah.  2  Kings  17  :  25-33,  41.  The 
Jews,  on  their  return  from  captivity,  B.  c. 
536,  declined  the  Samaritans'  request  to  be 
permitted  to  help  build  the  temple.  Ezra 
4.  In  consequence  of  this  refusal  the  Sa- 
maritans hindered  the  erection  of  the  tem- 
ple and  afterwards  the  rebuilding  of  the 
walls  of  Jerusalem,  b.  c.  445.  Neh.  4  :  6. 
The  enmity  was  increased  by  the  erection 
of  a  rival  temple  on  Mount  Gerizim,  where 
the  Samaritans  otlered  sacrifices  according 
to  the  INIosaic  law,  referring  to  Deut.  27  : 
11-13,  as  proof  that  this  M'as  the  proper  site 
for  the  temple.  The  bitter  animosity  be- 
tween the  two  races  must  be  understood  in 
order  to  understand  many  facts  in  New 
Testament  history. 

Samos  {sa'mos),  a  height.  An  island  in 
the  YEgean  Sea,  a  few  m'iles  from  the  main 
land,  and  42  miles  southwest  of  Smyrna. 
The  island  is  27  miles  long,  ten  miles  wide, 
and  has  an  area  of  165  square  miles.  It 
was  the  seat  of  Juno-worship,  the  birth- 
place of  Pvthagoras,  and  noted  for  its  val- 
uable pottery.  Paul  visited  the  island  on 
his  third  missionarj^  journey.  Acts  20  :  15. 
Samos  was  then  the  capital  of  the  island. 

Samson  (sCim'son),  sunlike.  The  son  of 
Manoah,  and  noted  as  the  strongest  man. 
He  was  judge  of  a  portion  of  Israel  for  20 
years,  during  the  latter  part  of  "the  40 
years"  period,  and  partly  contemporary 
with  Eli  and  Samuel.  Judg.  chaps.  13-16. 
His  birth  was  miraculously  foretold  ;  he  was 
a  Nazirite  from  infancy  ;  celebrated  for  his 
fearless  and  wonderful  exploits,  for  his 
moral  infirmities,  and  for  his  tragical  end. 
He  was  not  a  giant  in  size ;  his  exploits 
were  wrought  by  special  divine  aid  :  "  the 
Spirit  of  God  came  mightily  upon  him." 
Judg.  13  :  25 ;  14  :  6,  19 :  15 :  14 ;  16  :  20,  28. 
The  proWdence  of  God  was  signally  dis- 
played in  overruling  for  good  the  hasty 
passions  of  Samson,  the  cowardice  of  his 
friends,  and  the  malice  of  his  fenemies. 
Samson  is  ranked  with  the  heroes  of  the 
faithful.  Heb.  11  :  32.  33.  But  we  must, 
of  course,  not  judge  him  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  New  Testament.  He  lived  in 
the  wild  anarchial  period  of  the  judges, 
when  might  was  right,  and  he  was  just  the 
man  for  that  time. 
Samuel  {S(lm'ii-el),  heard  of  God.  A  great 
188 


prophet,  the  last  judge  of  Israel  before  the 
monarchy,  which  he  introduced  by  anoint- 
ing Saul.  He  appears  also  as  the  head  of 
a  school  of  prophets.  1  Sam.  chaps.  1-5. 
He  was  the  son  of  Elkanah  a  Levite,  de- 
scended from  that  Korah  who  perished  in 
the  wilderness.  Num.  16  ;  26  :  11.  Little 
is  recorded  in  detail  of  his  administration. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  judged  Israel— 
this  is  the  sum  of  what  is  told— though 
whether  his  authority  was  recognized  by 
all  the  tribes  may  admit  of  question.  The 
places  to  which  he  is  said  to  have  gone  on 
circuit  were  all  in  the  south  of  Palestine,  1 
Sam.  7 ;  and  when  he  appointed  his  sons 
to  otfice  it  was  in  Beer-sheba,  the  extreme 
south. 

Samuel,  First  and  Second  Books  of. 
We  cite  this  from  Rice's  Our  Sixty-six  Sa- 
nded Books :  The  two  books  of  Samuel  were 
originally  one  in  the  Hebrew  Bible.  Even 
the  Massoretic  note  at  the  end  of  the  sec- 
ond book,  giving  the  number  of  verses, 
treats  them  as  one  book.  The  Septuagint 
regarded  the  books  of  Samuel  and  of  Kings 
as  a  complete  history  of  the  Hebrew  king- 
dom, and  divided  them  into  four  books, 
calling  them  "  Books  of  the  Kingdoms." 
This  division  is  followed  in  the  Latin  and 
Douay  versions,  where  they  are  named  the 
first,  'second,  third,  and  fourth  books  of 
Kings.  The  modern  division  was  intro- 
duced into  Hebrew  printed  Bibles  in  1518. 
The  author  of  the  two  now  called  1  and  2 
Samuel  is  unknown.  The  name  of  the 
books  probably  arises  from  the  fact  that 
Samuel  is  the'  hero  of  the  first  part.  Sam- 
uel could  have  written  only  24  chapters  of 
the  first  book,  since  the  25th  chapter  re- 
cords his  death.  The  contents  indicate  that 
official  records  may  have  been  consulted 
by  the  writer,  and' national  hymns  were 
incorporated  in  the  Avork,  as  the  song  of 
Hannah,  1  Sam.  2  : 1-10  ;  David's  song  over 
Abner,  2  Sam.  3  :  33,  34 ;  his  thanksgiving 
song,  and  his  farewell  song,  2  Sam.  22; 
23 : 1-7.  The  date  of  composition  was  not 
later  than  Solomon's  time,  as  the  language 
proves.  "It  is  pure  Hebrew,  free  from 
Aramaisms  and  late  forms.  Constructions 
such  as  are  found  in  Kings  are  not  found 
in  Samuel."  The  difiiculties  are  chiefly 
the  adjustment  of  the  chronology,  the  va- 
riations between  the  Hebrew  and  Greek 
texts,  and  the  apparent  discrepancies,  as  1 
Sam.  23  :  19  :  24  :  22,  and  chap.  26.  The 
first  book  covers  a  period  of  about  80  years 
—1171  to  1056  B.  c— and  the  second  book 
from  1056  to  1015  B.  c— the  important  era  of 
the  reign  of  David 

Sanballat  (san-bal'lat),  heroes.  A  satrap 
of  the  king  of  Persia,  in  Samaria.  He  was 
a  native  of  Horonaim,  a  town  of  Moab. 
He  endeavored  by  every  means  to  hinder 
Nehemiah  in  the  work  of  rebuilding  Jeru- 
salem.   Neh.  2  :  10 ;  4  : 1 ;  6  :  1-14 ;  13 :  28. 

Sarali  {sd'rah),  princess.  1.  The  wife 
and  half-sister.  Gen.  20  :  12,  of  Abraham, 
and  mother  of  Isaac.  Her  name  is  written 
Sarai  in  Gen.  11:29.  The  change  of  her 
name  from  Sarai,  my  princess  (i.  e.  Abra- 
ham's), to  Sarah,  princess,  was  made  when 
Abram's  name  was  changed  to  Abraham. 


SAEDIXE 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


SCORPION 


She  died  at  Hebron  at  the  age  of  127  years, 
28  years  before  her  husband,  and  was  buried 
by'hhn  in  the  cave  of  Machpelah.  She  is 
referred  to  in  the  New  Testament  as  a  type 
of  conjugal  obedience  in  1  Pet.  3  : 6,  and  as 
one  of  the  types  of  faith  in  Heb.  11 :  11. 

Sardine,  Kev.  4  :3,  A.  V.,  or  Sardiiis, 
Ex.  28 :  17.  A  gem  of  a  blood-red  or  flesh 
color,  susceptible  of  la  high  polish,  and  also 
called  "  sard  "  or  "carnelian."  Its  former 
name  it  obtains  from  Sardis,  in  Asia  Minor, 
where  it  was  first  found.  This  st(me  has 
long  been  a  favorite  for  the  engraver's  art. 

Sardis  (sdr'dis).  A  city  in  Asia  Minor, 
and  the  capital  of  Lydia.  Sardis  was  situ- 
ated at  the  foot  of  iMount  Tmolus,  about  50 
miles  northeast  of  Smyrna  and  on  the  river 
Pactolus,  celebrated  for  its  "golden sands." 
It  was  the  residence  of  the  famous  Croesus, 
whose  name  is  the  synonym  for  riches. 
When  Cyrus  conquered  him,  b.  o.  548,  he  is 
said  to  have  taken  treasure  of  the  value  of 
S^6U0,000,000.  Sardis  was  the  seat  of  one  of 
the  seven  churches  of  Asia,  and  the  Chris- 
tians seem  to  have  been  so  corrupted  by  the 
prevaihng  worldliness  that  they  received  a 
severe  rebuke.    Rev.  3  : 1-5. 

Sargon  {sar'gon),  firm  king.  An  Assyrian 
king,  successor  of  Shalmaneser  and  father 
of  Sennacherib.  For  centuries  nothing  was 
known  of  him  only  one  fact,  Isa.  20  : 1,  that 
Ashdod  was  taken  by  his  command.  The 
exhumed  ruins  of  the  Khorsabad  palace 
show  him  to  have  been  a  great  warrior 
with  able  generals,  the  chief  of  whom  was 
Tartan.  He  reigned  from  722  to  705  b.  c, 
and  was  murdered  in  the  magnificent  pal- 
ace he-had  built. 

Satan  {sd'tan),  adversary.  1  Chron.  21 : 1. 
The  adversary  of  God  and  man,  the  foe  to 
goodness,  and  the  tempter  to  evil.  The 
proper  name  appears  five  times  in  the  Old 
Testament.  1  Chron.  21 : 1 ;  Job  1 : 6,12  -,2:1  ; 
Zech.  3:1;  in  the  New  Testament  25  times  ; 
the  word  "devil"  occurs  25  times;  "the 
prince  of  this  W'Orld,"  three  times;  "the 
wicked  one,"  six  times;  "the  tempter," 
twice.  In  one  remarkable  verse  several 
epithets  are  combined — the  old  serpent,  the 
devil,  and  Satan,  who  deceiveth  the  whole 
world.  Rev.  12 :  9.  The  most  striking  men- 
tion of  Satan  is  in  Job,  where  he  appears 
among  "  the  sons  of  God."  This  is  in  itself 
sufficient  to  prove  the  subordination  of  the 
powers  of  evil  unto  God  and  the  permissive 
nature  of  sin,  and  that  Satan  has  no  au- 
thority to  vex  save  as  God  grants  it.  The 
existence  of  Satan  is  a  perpetual  menace 
to  godliness.    See  Devil. 

Satyr  {sat'ir).  A  fabled  creature  of  Greek 
mythology,  part  man  and  part  goat,  and 
supposed  to  be  the  deity  of  forests  and 
rural  places.  The  expression  "  satyrs  shall 
dance  there,"  Isa.  13  :21  (the  R.  V.  margin 
reads  "  he  goats."  corap.  also  Isa.  34  :  14),  de- 
notes that  the  place  shall  become  a  rude, 
wild,  uncultivated  waste. 

Saul  {sawl),  asked  for,  desired.  1.  The 
first  king  of  Israel.  He  was  the  son  of  Kish, 
of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin.  iSam.  9:1,  2; 
10  :  1,  21,  23,  24.  In  personal  appearance  he 
was  tall,  remarkably  fine  and  noble.  After 
his  signal  defeat  of  the  Ammonites,  Saul 


was  confirmed  on  the  throne  by  the  army 
at  Gilgal,  1  Sam.  11,  though  the  contin- 
uance of  the  theocracy  was  earnestly  in- 
sisted on  by  Samuel.  1  Sam.  12.  He  car- 
ried on  successful  wars  against  the  Ammon- 
ites, the  Philistines,  the  Moabites,  and  the 
Amalekites.  1  Sam.  13  :  1-21 ;  14  :  4ti-52. 
Saul,  however,  in  two  instances,  forgot 
that  he  was  subject  to  Jehovah,  the  invis- 
ible King.  1  Sam.  13  :  11-14 ;  15.  Hence  Je- 
hovah commanded  Samuel  to  anoint  David 
I  privately,  as  Saul's  successor  to  the  king- 
dom. 1  Sam.  16 : 1-13.  From  this  time 
Saul  is  exhibited  as  the  slave  of  jealousy, 
duplicity,  and  malice  ;  he  fell  at  last  into'a 
deep  melancholy.  David  was  introduced 
to  the  court  to  soothe  Saul,  and  there  he 
became  acquainted  with  the  manners  of 
the  court,  and  the  business  of  government. 
1  Sam.  16  :  14-23.  See  David.  The  PhiUs- 
tines  mustered  an  army  so  formidable,  that 
Saul,  finding  himself  abandoned  of  God, 
applied  in  his  emergency  to  a  witch  at  En- 
dor.  Disheartened  by  the  ambiguous  an- 
swer of  the  wily  sorceress,  Saul  advanced 
against  the  Philistines.  The  Hebrews  were 
routed,  and  Saul,  finding  himself  wounded, 
fell  upon  his  own  sword,  b.  c.  105G,  after  a 
reign  of  forty  years.  iSam.  28:1-25;  31. 
Tliere  is  no  character  in  history  more  pitia- 
ble than  this  wretched  king,  swayed  by 
evil  impulse,  tormented  by  his  own  con- 
science, powerless  as  it  seemed  for  every- 
thing but  mischief.  His  better  thoughts,  if 
temporarily  awakened,  were  stings  and 
scourges  to  him.    1  Sara.  24 :  17 ;  26 :  21. 

Saviour.    See  Jesu.s  Christ. 

Scapegoat.  Lev.  16:8,  10,  R.  V.  Azazel. 
See  Goat  and  Atonement. 

Scarlet.  Gen.  38  :  28.  The  Hebrew  word 
folah  signifies  a  worm,  i.  e.,  the  coccus  worm, 
from  which  the  color  was  made. 

School,  Acts  19 : 9 ;  Scholar,  1  Chron. 
25  :  8  ;  School-master,  R.  V.  "  tutor."  Gal. 
3  :  24.  Schools  were  established  under  the 
prophets  to  train  young  men  to  become  ex- 
pounded of  Jewish  law,  and  to  fit  them  for 
the  priestlv  and  prophetical  ofiiees.  1  Sam. 
19  :  18-24  ;  2  Kings  2  : 3,  5,  7,  15.  The  oflice 
nearly  answered  to  that  of  a  governor  or 
tutor,' Gal.  4  : 2,  3,  who  constantly  attends 
his  pupil,  teaches  him,  and  forms  his  man- 
ners. Maimonides  thus  describes  a  Jewish 
school :  "  The  teacher  sat  at  the  head,  and 
the  pupils  surrounded  him  as  the  crown 
the  head,  so  that  every  one  could  see  the 
teacher  and  hear  his  words.  The  teacher  did 
not  sit  in  a  chair  while  the  pupils  sat  on  the 
ground,  but  all  either  sat  on  chairs  or  on 
the  ground."  The  children  read  aloud  to 
acquire  fluency.  The  number  of  school' 
hours  was  limited,  and  during  the  heat  of 
the  summer  was  only  four  hours.  The  pun- 
ishment emyjloyed  was  beating  with  a 
strap,  never  with  a  rod.  The  chief  studies 
were  their  own  language  and  literature ; 
the  chief  schooJ-book  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

Scorpion.  1.  A  venomous  creature  allied 
to  the  spider,  but  resembling  the  lobster. 
Its  usual  length  is  one  or  two  inches,  but  in 
tropical  climates  it  is  sometimes  found  six 
or  eight  inches  in  length,  and  its  .«ting  is 
attended  with  excruciating  pain,  Kev.  9 : 
189 


SCOURGE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SCRIPTURE 


3-6,  terminating  often  in  violent  convul- 
sions and  death.  Scorpions  are  abundant 
in  Palestine,  and  are  especially  common 
about  Mount  Sinai.  Deut.  8  :  15.  They  re- 
main dormant  during  the  cold  season,  but 
through  the  rest  of  the  year  swarm  under 
stones  and  in  all  the  crannies  and  crevices 
of  walls  and  houses.  The  sting  is  a  curved 
claw  at  the  end  of  the  tail,  and  this  latter 
the  animal,  in  running,  carries  over  its 
back  in  a  threatening  attitude.  Luke  11  : 
12  seems  to  mean  merely  the  bestowal  of  a 
dangerous  and  unwelcome  gift  rather  than 
a  good  one,  and  may  refer  to  the  Greek 
proverb  :  "  A  scorpion  instead  of  a  perch." 
2.  An  instrument  refccmbling  a  whip,  with 
knots,  bits  of  lead,  or  small  stones  at  the 
end.    1  Kings  12  :  11.    See  Scoiu-ge. 

Scoui-ge.  Deut.  25  : 1-3.  An  instrument 
of  punishment  in  Egj-pt  and  Rome.  The 
number  of  stripes  was  limited  by  Moses  to 
forty  ;  which  the  Jews,  in  later  times,  were 
so  careful  not  to  exceed,  that  they  inflicted 
oiily  thirty-nine.  Deut.  25 : 3 ;  2  Oor.  11 :  24. 
There  were  two  ways  of  scourging;  one 
with  thongs  or  whips ;  the  other  with  rods 
or  twigs.  Sometimes  sharp  iron  points  or 
sharp-cornered  pieces  of  metal  Avere  fast- 
ened to  the  end  of  the  thongs?,  to  render  the 
sufl'ering  still  more  extreme.  The  punish- 
ment was  intlicted  on  the  ofl'ender  lying  on 
the  ground.  Ex.  21 :  20 ;  Lev.  19  :  20  ;  Deut. 
22  :  18 ;  Prov.  10  :  13  ;  13  :  24 ;  20  :  30  ;  23  :  13, 
14  ;  Ps.  89  :  32.  In  later  times  the  offender 
was  tied  by  his  arms  to  a  pillar,  and  his 
back  laid  bare  to  the  virgce.  or  rods  of  the 
lictor.  To  this  degrading  punishment  no 
Roman  citizen  could  be  subjected.  Matt. 
10  :  17  ;  27  :26 ;  John  2  :  15  ;  Acts  16  : 23 ;  22  : 
25 ;  26  :  11 ;  Heb.  11 :  35. 

Scribe.  There  are  two  Hebrew  words 
which  mean  "  a  w^iiter,"  but  one  is  usually 
translated  in  the  A.  V.  by  "  ofiicer,"  the 
other  is  rendered  "scribe."  The  art  of 
writing  among  the  Hebrews  may  not  have 
been  in  early  times  generally  learned,  and 
therefore  a  class  of  men  A\ould  arise  who 
earned  their  living  by  carrying  on  corre- 
spondence or  conducting  accounts.  Sheva 
was  the  scribe  of  David.  2  Sara.  20  :  25. 
The  king's  scribe  recorded  the  edicts,  and 
sometimes  acted  as  treasurer.  2  Kings  12  : 
10.  Scribes  also  officiated  in  the  army. 
Jer.  52:25.  Scribes  in  the  New  Testament 
were  the  copyists  of  the  law,  and  were  pop- 
ularly regarded  as  the  teachers  or  expound- 
ers of  the  laAv.  Ezra  v/as  their  leader  and 
pattern.  Ezra  7  : 6.  But  these  learned  ex- 
pounders of  the  law  took  greater  liberties 
with  the  text  and  made  it  void  through 
their  traditions.  Mark  7  :  13.  Some  were 
members  of  the  Sanhedrin.  Matt.  26 :  3 
(A.  V.  but  omitted  in  R.  V.) ;  21  :  15. 
Jesus  reproved  them  repeatedly  and  in 
the  most  unmeasured  terms.  Matt.  23 ; 
1-33.  They  were  his  determined  and  wilv 
foes.  Luke  5  :  30 ;  6:7;  11 :  53.  That  there 
were  exceptions  is  manifest,  for  Jesus  speaks 
of  scribes  being  sent  of  God,  Matt.  23  :  .34, 
and  one  of  his  parables  relates  to  a  scribe 
"  instructed  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven."' 
Matt.  13 :  52.  The  scribes  and  lawyers  were 
one  class. 
190 


Scriijture,  uriting,  and  Scriptures, 

writings.  The  name  given  in  the  Bible  to 
portions  of  the  recorded  will  of  God  ;  called 
also  "  Holy  Scriptures,"  Rom.  1:2;  2  Tim. 
3:15,  and  once  "the  Scripture  of  truth." 
Dan.  10  :  21.  The  more  common  title  in  the 
Bible  is  "Law,"  and  "Law  of  Moses." 
Christ  refers  frequently  to  passages  in  the 
Old  Testament  in  this  way,  and  once  desig- 
nates tlie  entire  collection  by  the  three  di- 
visions known  to  the  Jews,  "  the  Law  of 
Moses,  and  the  Prophets,  and  the  Psalms." 
Luke  24  :  44.  The  term  Scripture  occurs  62 
times  in  the  A.  V.,  only  once  in  the  Old 
Testament :  but  compare  2  Kings  22  :  13 ; 
Ps.  40  :  7,  and  Ps.  119.  "Law,"  "Law  of 
iMoses,"  occur  426  times,  and  "Gospel"  in 
the  Kew  Testament  only  101  limes.  The 
prophets  frequentlv  used  the  phrase,  "the 
word  of  the  Lord.''  Isa.  1  :  10  ;  Jer.  2:4; 
Ezek.  12  ;  x7  ;  Dan.  9:2;  Hos.  1:1;  Joel  1 : 
1.  Scripture  is  called  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment "  the  word  of  God,"  "  oracles  of  God," 
and  "God's  w^ords."  Acts  4:31;  6:7;  12: 
24 ;  Rom.  3:2;  and  John  8 :  47.  In  the 
New  Testament  Paul's  epistles  are  classed 
with  the  Old  Testament  as  "  Scripture."  2 
Pet.  3:16.  The  terra  Bible  comes  from  the 
Latin  Jiiblia,  and  Greek  Biblos  or  Biblion, 
meaning  book.  It  was  used  by  Josephus — 
70-100  A.  D.,  and  Philo,  to  designate  single 
books  of  the  Old  Testament ;  and  later  by 
Chrysostom— 350-407  A.  D.— for  the  whole 
collection.  "The  Jews  have  the  books — 
biblia — "  ..."  Provide  yourselves  with 
books,  .  .  .  at  least  yjrocure  the  new,  the 
Apostolos,  the  Acts,  the  Gospels."  Horn.  2 
and  9.  He  also  called  them  "  the  divine 
books."  It  was  applied  to  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures by  Chaucer — 1400,  and  Wyckliffe — 
1384,  and  used  as  a  title  by  Coverdale— 1535. 
Since  then  the  "  Holy  Bible  "  has  become 
the  common  English  title  for  the  collection, 
of  66  sacred  books,  accepted  by  all  Chris- 
tians as  the  authoritative  word  of  God. 
The  Bible  is  divided  into  the  Old  and  the 
New  Testaments,  a  name  based  upon  2  Cor. 
3 :  14  ;  testament  referring  there  to  the  old 
covenant.  Thus  we  read  of  the  "  book  of 
the  Covenant,"  Ex.  24  :  7 ;  2  Kings  23  :  2,  a 
phrase  which  was  transferred  in  time  to 
the  entire  Hebrew  Sacred  Scriptures,  and 
the  New  Testament  or  Covenant  to  the 
Christian.  There  are  39  separate  books  in 
the  Old  Testament,  and  27  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament, making  GG  books  in  the  Bible. 
They  are  called  "holy"  or  "  sacred  "  be- 
cause they  are  the  written  revelations  of 
God.  "  For  the  propliecy  came  not  in  old 
time  by  tlie  will  of  men ;  but  holy  men  of 
God  spake  as  thev  were  moved  bv  the  Holy 
Ghost."  2  Pet.  1 :21  A.  V.,  or  in  R.  V.,  "  for 
no  prophecy  ever  came  by  the  w  ill  of  man  ; 
but  men  spake  from  God.  being  moved  by 
the  Holy  Ghost."  Comp.  2  Tim.  3  :  16,  and 
2  Pet.  3  :  16.  The  Jews,  besides  dividing  the 
Old  Testament  into  the  Law,  the  Prophets, 
and  the  Psalms,  or  the  writings,  as  before 
noted,  made  other  divisions  in  the  text  of 
separate  books  for  convenience  in  reading 
in  public  worship.  For  example,  they  di- 
vided the  "  Law,"  the  five  books  of  Moses, 
into  54  portions,  and  these  were  subdivided 


SCRIPTURE 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


SCRIPTURE 


into  smaller  sections.  From  these  grew  the 
modern  division  of  the  Old  Testament  into 
chapters  and  verses.  The  New  Testament 
was  divided  into  chapters  and  verses  by 
Stephens  in  1551,  and  hkewise  first  ap- 
peared in  the  Genevan  English  Bible  in 
1557-1560.  The  chronological  dates  were 
first  inserted  by  Lloyd  in  1701,  and  are 
from  Ussher.  The  marginal  references  to 
facilitate  finding  texts  on  the  same  or  sim- 
ilar topics,  were  greatly  improved  by  Drs. 
Paris  and  Blayney,  1762,  1769.  The  italics 
in  the  Enghsh  versions  do  not  indicate  em- 

f)hatic  words,  but  are  inserted  by  the  trans- 
ators  to  complete  the  sense  and  to  show 
that  there  are  no  words  in  the  original  He- 
brew or  Greek  to  correspond  with  these 
English  words  in  italics.  The  original 
text  of  the  Old  Testament  is  Hebrew  (ex- 
cept a  small  portion  in  Chaldaic) ;  the  New 
Testament  was  written  in  Greek.  The  text 
of  the  Hebrew  Bible  has  been  carefully 
preserved  by  the  labors  of  men  who  re- 
garded it  with  great  reverence.  The  Masso- 
retic  text  of  to-day  is  the  work  of  a  body 
of  scholars  hving  at  Tiberias,  in  Galilee, 
and  at  Sora  in  the  Euphrates  valley,  who 
added  the  vowel  points.  The  oldest  extant 
Hebrew  Old  Testament  manuscripts  date 
from  the  tenth  century.  The  entire  Hebrew 
Bible  was  first  printed  in  1488.  Besides  the 
Jewish  Massoretes,  able  Hebrew  scholars 
have  carefully  and  conscientiously  com- 
pared various'  Hebrew  copies  with  the  old 
Greek  translations,  to  give  us  a  more  accu- 
rate Hebrew  text  than  could  be  gained 
from  a  single  ancient  manuscript.  The 
New  Testament  Greek  text  has  received 
greater  critical  study  than  even  the  Old 
Testament  text.  Copies  of  the  gospels  and 
epistles  were  early  multiphed  in  great  num- 
bers. These  manuscripts  are  of  two  classes 
—uncials,  written  in  capitals  and  with  no 
division  of  words  or  sentences  and  very 
few  marks  of  punctuation,  and  cursives, 
written  in  running  hand.  The  former  are 
the  older,  dating  from  the  fourtli  to  the 
tenth  century.  The  material  used,  the 
style  of  writing,  and  other  pecuUarities, 
enable  experts  to  tell  very  nearly  to  what 
century  any  given  manuscript"  belongs. 
The  first  printed  New  Testament  text  that 
was  published  was  that  of  Erasmus  in  1516. 
What  is  called  the  Received  Text  (Greek) 
is  that  of  the  Elzevir  Edition,  163o.  The 
toils  of  a  long  succession  of  scholars  liave 
sufficed  to  furnish  a  text  that  satisfactorily 
represents  the  original.  Chief  among  these 
scholars  were  Beza,  Mill,  Bengel,  and 
Bentley  in  the  centuries  that  followed  the 
Reformation.  They  were  followed  by  Gries- 
bach  — 1754-1812,  Lachmann  —  1793-1851, 
Tischendorf  —  I8ir>-1874,  Tregelles  — 1813- 
1875,  Westcott,  and  Hort,  and  through  tlieir 
labors  we  have  a  satisfactory  and  pure 
text  of  the  Greek  Testament. 

Order  of  tlie  Books.— The  order  of  the  va- 
rious books  differs  in  Hebrew  manuscripts, 
according  as  they  are  Tahnudic  or  Jlasso- 
retic.  The  Tahnudic  order  is :  the  Law,  or 
five  books  of  Moses;  the  Prophets,  viz., 
Joshua,  Judges,  1  and  2  Samuel,  1  and  2 
Kings,  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  Isaiah,  the  twelve 


minor  Prophets  ;  the  Vv'ritings,  viz.,  Ruth, 
Psalms,  Job,  Proverbs,  Ecclesiastes,  Song 
of  Solomon,  Lamentations,  Daniel,  Esther, 
Ezra  with  Nehemiah,  1  and  2  Chronicles. 
The  Massoretes  order  is :  the  Law,  the  earher 
Prophets,  then  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Eze- 
kiel; and  the  k'thubim  or  Writings  are  thus 
arranged:  Psalms,  Proverbs,  Job,  the  five 
viegilloth,  viz..  Song  of  Solomon,  Ruth,  Lam- 
entations, Ecclesiastes,  Esther,  then  Dan- 
iel, Ezra  with  Nehemiah,  1  and  2  Chronicles. 
The  order  in  the  Septuagint  varies  consid- 
erably from  that  of  the  Hebrew.  The 
books  of  the  New  Testament  may  be  classed 
as  historical,  doctrinal,  and  prophetical. 
The  historical,  viz.,  the  four  Gospels,  and 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  always  stand  first. 
Of  the  doctrinal  class,  some  leading  manu- 
scripts —  including  the  Alexandrine  and 
Vatican  —  make  the  catholic  epistles  pre- 
cede those  of  Paul :  the  Hebrews  following 
2  Thessalonians.  The  Western  church  has 
generally  placed  the  Pauline  epistles  first, 
namely,  those  co  churches,  then  those  to 
individuals,  with  the  Hebrews  last,  the  au- 
thor being,  according  to  many,  uncertain. 
The  prophetical  book.  Revelation,  always 
closes  the  sacred  volume.  See  Rice's  Our 
Sixty-six  Sacred  Books  for  further  account 
of  the  text,  versions,  etc. 

Ancient  Translations.— I.  The  oldest  trans- 
lation of  the  Old  Testament  is  the  Greek, 
made  about  two  centuries  before  Christ.  It 
is  called  the  Septuagint — i.  e..  seventy,  a 
round  number  for  the  more  exact  seventy- 
two — from  a  tradition  that  the  work  was  ex- 
ecuted by  72  Jewish  scholars.  It  was  in 
universal  use  among  the  Jews  in  Christ's 
day,  and  is  continually  quoted  by  the  New 
Testament  writers.  This  translation  instead 
of  the  Hebrew  was  translated  into  Latin 
by  the  early  Christian  fathers,  and  is  the 
authority  in  the  Greek  Church  to-day.  The 
Jews,  however,  abandoned  it,  and  returned 
to  the  study  and  use  of  the  original  Hebrew. 
2.  A  translation  into  Syriac  was  made  bv 
Christians,  direct  from  the  Hebrew,  called 
the  Peshitta  {simple),  because  it  was  literal, 
and  not  paraphrastic,  was  in  common  use 
in  the  fourth  century.  3.  Of  Latin  trans- 
lations are  the  Itala,  made  from  the  Septu- 
agint, and  the  translation  by  Jerome,  the 
most  learned  Christian  of  his  day,  directly 
from  the  Hebrew,  a.  d.  385-405,'  which  is 
called  the  Vulgate.  All  Roman  Cathohc 
versions  must  be  conformed  to  it. 

Modern  Translations. — Only  a  few  lead- 
ing modern  versions  can  be  noticed :  1. 
German,  by  Luther,  New  Testament,  in 
1522,  and  Bible,  15.34 ;  revised  version.  1892.  2. 
French,  by  Le  Fevre,  at  Antwerp,  1530 ;  Oli- 
vetan,  1535,  and  Segonds,  1880.  3.  Dutch, 
synod  of  Dort,  1637.  Staats  Bibel.  4.  Italian. 
Diodati,  1607.  5.  Spanish,  by  Valero,  and 
by  San  Miguel,  1002,  1794.  6. "Arabic,  bv  E. 
Smith  and  Van  Dyck,  1866.  Many  trans- 
lations have  been  made  by  missionaries. 

English  T)-anslations. — Translations  of  por- 
tions of  the  Bible  were  made  into  Anglo- 
Saxon  in  the  eighth  century  and  into  early 
English  in  the  thirteenth  or  earlier.  Tlie 
chief  translations  are:  Wyckliflfe's  New 
Testament,  from  the  Latin  in  1380,  and  his 
191 


SCRIPTURE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SCRIPTURE 


followers  also  translated  the  Old  Testament ; 
these  Avere  written.     Tyndale's,  from  the 
Greek,  first  Englisli  New  Testament,  printed 
1526.    Coverdale's  Bible,  15a5,  chiefly  from  j 
the  Latin.    This  was  the  first  entire  Bible 

Krinted  in  English,  and  probably  at  Zurich, 
[atthews'  Bible,  a  fusion  of  the  transla- 
tions by  Tyndale  and  Coverdale,  and  made 
by  John  Rogers,  the  martyr,  under  the 
name  of  Maltliews,  1537.  It  was  pubUshed 
with  the  Enghsh  king's  Ucense,  and  hence 
was  the  first  authorized  ver.=;ion  in  Enghsh. 
Taverner's  Bible  was  a  revision  of  Matthews' 
issued  in  1539.  Cranmer's,  or  the  Great 
Bible,  was  simply  a  new  edition  of  Mat- 
thews', issued  under  the  sanction  of  and 
with  a  preface  by,  Cranmer,  also  in  1539. 
The  Genevan  New  Testament,  1557,  and 
Genevan  Bible,  1560,  were  made  by  Enghsh 
refugees  at  Geneva,  during  the  persecution 
under  the  Enghsh  queen,  Mary,  who  ^\  as  a 
Roman  Catholic.  It  was  the  first  complete 
Enghsh  translation  from  the  original  He- 
brew and  Greek  texts,  and  the  first  Enghsh 
Bible  divided  into  modern  chapters  and 
verses.  The  Bishops'  Bible,  1568-1572, 
a  revision  of  the  Great  Bible,  made  by  15 
scholars,  eight  of  whom  were  bishops.  The 
Rheims,  New  Testament,  1609,  and  Douai 
Bible,  1610,  made  by  Roman  Catholic 
scholars  at  Douai.  The  King  James',  or  so- 
called  Aiathorized  Version,  made  from  the 
Hebrew  and  Greek  by  47  scholars,  under 
sanction  of  James  II.,  king  of  England,  1611. 
The  Anglo-American  revised  Bible,  New 
Testament,  1881,  Old  Testament,  1885.  This 
is  a  revision  of  the  so-called  A.  V.  made  by 
a  company  of  67  British  and  34  American 
scholars  appointed  by  a  Committee  of  the 
Church  of  England,  through  the  Convoca- 
tion of  Canterbury,  in  1870. 

Evidences  of  Ser?ph<re.— Concerning  the 
evidences,  external  and  internal,  of  the 
truth  of  Scripture,  it  may  briefly  be  said 
that  no  books  have  been  subjected  to  such 
severe  critical  examination  into  every  state- 
ment, and  clause,  and  particular,  as  the 
Bible,  and  never  have  the  arguments  for 
its  integrity  and  authority  been  as  strong 
as  they  are  to-day.  The  fulfillment  of 
j)rophecy,  the  minute  accuracy  of  descrip- 
tions, formerly  supposed  to  be  inaccurate, 
but  which  later  and  more  thorotigh  re- 
searches have  found  to  be  true,  sustain  the 
historic  verity  of  the  Scriptures.  For  in- 
stance, a  searching  examination  of  Paul's 
shipwreck  has  proved  it  to  be  minutely 
accurate.  The  explorations  made  of  late 
years  in  Nineveh  and  Babylon,  Egypt  and 
Palestine,  have  tended  to  confirm  the  cred- 
ibility of  Scripture  in  many  hitherto  dis- 
puted points.  It  is  true  that  we  must  receive 
the  evidence  so  produced  with  care.  In- 
scriptions and  monumental  records  are 
more  likely  to  exaggerate  the  successes  than 
to  chronicle  the  disasters  of  the  people  by 
whom  they  were  made.  We  could  not 
reasonably  expect  to  find  in  Egyptian  mon- 
uments any  detail  of  the  judginents  which 
forced  the  release  of  Israel.  Neither  was  it 
likely  that  Sennacherib  would  record  the 
fatal  overthrow  of  his  vast  army  at  Jerusa- 
lem. But  much  information  has  been  ob- 
192 


tained  by  incidental  notices.  Thus  it  had 
been  questioned  whether  such  a  king  as 
Nebuchadnezzar  ever  reigned.  His  name, 
it  was  said,  did  not  appear  in  Herodotus : 
and  objectors,  if  they  did  not  deny  the  ex- 
istence of  the  conqueror,  at  least  insinuated 
that  a  petty  satrap  had  been  magnified  into 
a  great  king.  But  now  bricks  in  abundance 
have  been  found  inscribed  with  Nebuchad- 
nezzar's name,  proving  that  he  had  built 
and  adorned  a  magnificent  capital.  Dan. 
4 :  30.  Yet  more  serious  doubt  was  ex* 
pressed  in  regard  to  Belshazzar  ;  and  con- 
sequently the  narrative  of  his  feast  and  the 
awful  sign  which  interrupted  it  was  pro- 
nounced a  fable.  But  it  is  now  distinctly 
proved  by  the  discoverj-  of  unquestionable 
records  that  a  sovereign  of  that  name  was 
associated  in  power  with  his  father  during 
the  last  days  of  Babylon's  independence. 
These  instances  could"  be  multiphed  many 
times,  from  the  discoveries  at  Tanis,  La- 
chish,  Nineveh,  Memphis,  and  from  the 
recovery  of  inscriptions  and  letters,  and 
from  the  mummies  of  the  Pharaohs,  of 
priests,  and  princes,  almost  without  num- 
ber. The  results  of  Christianity,  its  effects 
on  individuals,  famihes,  nations ;  its  won- 
derful missions,  are  an  unanswerable  proof 
of  the  verity  of  this  one  Book,  the  Bible. 
The  Scriptures  are  the  only  written  revela- 
tion of  God,  and  the  only  authoritative 
record  of  his  plan  of  salva'tion.  The  Old 
Testament  was  given  specially  at  first  to 
the  Jews,  and  the  New  Testament  to  the 
disciples  of  Christ.  The  Old  Testament  is 
fulfilled  in  the  New.  There  are  not  less 
than  265  direct  quotations  from  the  Old 
Testament  in  the  New,  and  850  further  al- 
lusions in  the  New  Testament  to  the  Old 
Testament,  which  imply  that  the  latter  was 
the  word  of  God.  Again  and  again  Christ 
and  his  apostles  cited  and  approved  of  the 
Old  Testament  as  the  truth  of  God,  and  the 
New  Testament  expressly  declares:  "All 
Scripture  is  given  by  inspiration  of  God, 
and  is  profitable"  for  doctrine,  for  reproof, 
for  correction,  for  instruction  in  righteous- 
ness :  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect, 
thoroughlv  furnished  unto  all  good  works." 
2  Tim.  3  :  16,  17,  A.  V.  (The  R.  V.  modifies, 
but  on  the  whole  rather  strengthens  this,  as 
a  proof  text  on  the  subject.)  God's  word  is 
not  to  be  diminished,  or  added  to,  see 
Deut.  4  :  2 :  12  :  32 ;  Rev.  22  :  19 ;  nor  is  God's 
plan  of  salvation  to  be  modified  :  "  If  any 
man  preach  anv  other  gospel  unto  you  .  .  . 
let  him  be  accursed."  Gal.  1 : 9.  The  Scrip- 
tures from  the  beginning  to  their  end  point 
to  and  reveal  the  living  "  Word  made  flesh," 
even  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  eternal 
hfe  in  him.  John  1:1-14;  Col.  1 :  12-20 ; 
Heb.  1 : 1-3.  From  the  ISIosaic  book  of  Deu- 
teronomy in  the  Old  Testament  Jesus  quoted 
texts  to  withstand  the  awful  conflict  in  the 
temxjtations  of  the  devil.  Matt.  4:4.  It  was 
from  the  Old  Testament  books  that  Jesus 
talked  on  thcM-ay  to  Emmaus  with  two  disci- 
ples, "  beginning  at  INIoses  and  all  the  proph- 
ets,he  expounded  unto  them  in  all  the  Scrip- 
tures the  things  concerning  himself"  Luke 
24  :  27.  These  scriptures  are  suflficient  to 
guide  and  persuade  any  who  will  be  reason- 


SCYTHIAN 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


SEIR 


ably  persuaded  to  salvation.  When  the 
rich  man  in  torment  plead  with  Abraham 
for  his  five  brethren,  saying ;  "  If  one  went 
unto  them  from  the  dead,  they  will  re- 
pent," the  answer  was,  "  If  they  hear  not 
Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they 
be  persuaded,  though  one  rose  from  the 
dead."  Luke  16  :  30,  31.  They  make  a  fatal 
mistake  who  do  not  so  study  tlie  Bible  as  to 
find  Christ  in  it  from  beginning  to  end,  a 
pereonal  Saviour  through  whom  comes 
eternal,  spiritual  Ufe. 

Circulation  of  the  Bible.  —  The  following 
statements  are  from  Rice's  Our  Sixty-six  Sa- 
cred Books :  The  Bible  and  portions  of  the 
Scriptures  are  printed  in  36/  versions  and 
287  dialects,  according  to  the  American 
Bible  Society  reports  (founded  1816).  The 
reports  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible 
Society  (founded  1804)  show  that  over  60 
new  versions  of  the  Bible  were  added  to 
its  list  in  eleven  years,  and  that  the  Scrip- 
tures are  now  published  in  510  versions  in 
upwards  of  300  languages.  A  conservative 
estimate  is  that  the  Bible,  or  portiorus,  are 
now  issued  in  450  languages  and  dialects 
by  the  Bible  and  mission  societies  and  pri- 
vate pubhshers  of  the  world.  It  is  com- 
puted that  60,000  copies  of  the  gospels  were 
circulated  among  Christians  before  the  end 
of  the  second  century  after  Christ.  Over 
100,000  copies  of  Luther's  German  version 
were  sold  within  40  years  of  its  issue.  Be- 
tween 1524  and  1611  not  less  than  278  edi- 
tions of  English  Bibles  and  Testaments 
were  printed.  In  the  first  15  years  of  19th 
century  private  publishers  in  America  is- 
sued 134  editions  of  the  Bible  and  65  of  the 
New  Testament.  Not  less  than  1000  edi- 
tions, some  having  a  very  large  circulation, 
were  issued  in  the  first  65  years  of  19th  cen- 
tury in  America  alone.  The  total  circula- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  and  portions,  for  the 
nineteenth  century,  is  placed  at  300,000,000 
copies.  Never  was  the  annual  circulation 
greater  than  now.  Bible  and  mission  soci- 
eties of  the  world  circulate  yearly  about 
6,500,000  copies,  and  private  pubhshe'rs  swell 
this  number  to  more  than  10,000,000  annu- 
ally. The  copies  of  the  Scriptures  circu- 
lated in  heathen  lands,  in  this  century,  are 
believed  to  exceed  in  number  all  that  there 
were  in  the  world  from  Moses  to  Martin 
Luther.  "This  word  of  God  has  held  a 
thou.sand  nations  for  thrice  a  thousand 
years  spell-bound,"  says  F.  W.  Robertson, 
•'  held  them  by  an  abiding  power,  even  the 
universality  of  its  truth."  "Blessed  are" 
they  .  .  "  who  walk  in  the  law  of  the 
Lord."    Ps.  119:1.  Rice,Our  66  Sacred  Books. 

Scythian  {Mh'i-an) .  Wanderi ng  tri be 
or  tribes  north  of  the  Black  and  Caspian 
Seas.    Col.  3  :  11. 

Sea.  The  Hebrew  word  yam,  or  "  sea," 
is  used  in  Scripture :  1.  For  the  "  gathering 
of  waters,"  or  the  ocean.  Gen.  1:2,  10; 
Dent.  30 :  13.  2.  As  referring  to  the  Medi- 
terranean Sea,  under  the  title  of  the 
"hinder,"  the  "western,"  the  "utmost," 
sea,  or  the  "sea  of  the  Phihstines,"  the 
"great  sea,"  or  simply  "the  sea."  Deut. 
11 :  24 ;  34 : 2 ;  Joel  2  :  20 ;  Ex.  23  :  31 ;  Num. 


34; 


Josh.  15 :  47 ;  Gen.  49 ;  13j  Ps.  80 ; 


11 ;  107  :  23 ;  1  Kings  4 :  20.  3.  As  referring 
to  the  Red  Sea.  Ex.  15  ;  4.  4,  As  referring 
to  inland  lakes,  like  the  Salt  or  Dead  Sea. 
5.  To  any  great  collection  of  waters,  as  the 
Nile  or  the  Euphrates  in  time  of  a  flood  or 
high  water.  Isa.  19;  5;  Amos  8  ;  8,  A.  V., 
"  flood  ; "  Nah.  3:8;  Ezek.  32  ;  2 ;  Jer.  51 : 
36. 

Sea  of  Cliinnereth  {kln'ne-rWi).  Num. 
34  ;  11.     See  Galilee,  Sea  of. 

Sea  of  Jazer  {jd'zer).  Jer.  48  :  32.  See 
Jazer. 

Sea  of  Tiberias  {t'l-he'ri-as),  John  211 
1.    See  Galilee,  Sea  of. 

Sea,  t  li  e  Molten,  or  li  r  a z  e  u. 
The  name  of  the  large  copper  or  bronze 
laver  made  by  Solomon  for  the  temple, 
and  which  stood  upon  twelve  metal  oxen 
in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  court  of  the 
priests.  It  is  described  in  1  Kings  7  :  2;5-26. 
It  was  73^  feet  high,  15  feet  in  diameter, 
aud  45  feet  in  circumference,  and  contained 
16,000  gallons— 2  Chron.  4  ;  5  says  24,000  gal- 
lons. Solomon  made  it  of  the  copper  cap- 
tured from  Tibhath  and  Chun,  cities  of 
Hadarezer,  king  of  Zobah.  1  Chron.  18  ;8. 
Ahaz  took  down  the  sea  from  off"  the  brazen 
oxen  and  put  it  upon  a  pavement  of  stones. 
2  Kings  16 ;  17.  The  Assyrians  broke  it  in 
pieces.    2  Kings  25  :  13. 

Sea,  the  Salt.  Gen.  14:3.  See  Salt 
Sea. 

Seal.  Among  seals  used  in  Egypt  at  a 
very  early  period  were  engraved  stones, 
pierced  through  their  length  and  hung  by 
a  string  or  chain  from  the  arm  or  neck,  or 
set  in  rings  for  the  finger.  The  most  an- 
cient form  used  for  this  purpose  was  the 
Kcarabasus  (beetle),  formed  of  precioas  or 
common  stone,  or  even  of  blue  pottery  or 
porcelain,  on  the  flat  side  of  which  some 
inscription  or  device  was  engraved,  In 
many  cases  the  seal  consisted  of  a  lump  of 
clay,  impressed  with  the  seal  and  attached 
to  the  document  by  strings.  In  sealing  a 
sepulchre  the  fastening  was  covered  with 
clay  or  wax,  and  the  seal  was  stamped 
upon  it,  so  that  it  could  not  be  broken  open 
without  discovery.  The  signet-ring  was 
an  ordinary  part  of  a  man's  equipment. 
Gen.  38 :  18.  The  ring  or  the  seal  as  an  em- 
blem of  authority  in  Egypt,  Persia,  and 
elsewhere  is  mentioned  in  Gen.  41  :  42 ;  1 
Kings  21 : 8  ;  Esthers  ;  10, 12 ;  8  :  2 ;  Dan.  6 : 
17 ;  and  as  an  evidence  of  a  covenant,  in 
Jer.  32  :  10,  44  ;  Neh.  9  :  38  •,  10 ;  1 ;  Hag.  2  : 
23.  Engraved  signets  were  in  use  among 
the  Hebrews  in  early  times.  Ex.  28 :  11, 
36 ;  39 ;  6. 

S  e  b  a  (se'bah),  man  f  A  wealthy  and 
commercial  region  of  Ethiopia.  Ps.  72 :  10  ; 
Isa.  43  :  3  ;  45  :  14.  Seba  appears  to  have 
corresponded  to  the  northern  portion  of 
Abyssinia.  Its  inhabitants  are  mentioned 
with  Sheba,  Ps.  72  :  10,  the  trading  people 
of  the  other  side  of  the  Red  Sea.  The  in- 
habitants of  both  Sheba  and  Seba  were 
called  Sabseans  by  Greek  and  Latin  writers, 
but  the  Hebrew  words  are  distinct. 

Seir  (se'ir).  1.  Mount  Seir,  Gen.  14  :  6, 
or  land  of  Seir,  Gen.  :32 ;  3 ;  36  :  30,  the  moun- 
tainous region  Iving  north  of  the  eastern 
guLf  of  the  Red  Sea.  Deut.  2  :  1-8.  The 
193 


SELA   OR  SELAH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SERVANT 


rugged  appearance  of  the  tract  as  viewed  ! 
from  the  mountain  generally  recognized  as  j 
Mount  Hor,  the  central  and  highest  peak, 
48U0  feet  high,  justities  its  name.  See  Idu- 
uiaea.  2.  Mount  Seir,  Josh.  15  :  lu,  was  a 
landmark  on  the  northern  boundary  of 
Judah,  between  Kirjath-jearim  and  Beth- 
shemesh. 

Sela  or  Selali  {se'lah),  tlie rock,  and 
named  Joktheel.  2  Kings  14:  7;  Isa,  16: 
1.  Rendered  "rock"  In  Judges  l;o6;  2 
Chron.  25  ;  12.  Probably  the  city  later 
known  as  Petra,  the  ruins  of  Avhich  are 
found  about  two  days'  journey  north  of  the 
Gulf  of  Akabah.  It  was  in  the  midst  of 
Mount  Seir,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Mount 
Hor, and  therefore  Edomite  territory.  About 
70  B.  c.  Petra  aijpears  as  the  residence  of 
the  Arab  princes  named  Aretas.  Trajan  re- 
duced it  to  subjection  to  the  Roman  em- 
pire. Petra  lay,  though  at  a  high  level,  in 
a  hollow  three'-quarters  of  a  mile  long  and 
from  800  to  1500  feet  ^\•ide,  shut  in  by  moun- 
tain cliffs,  and  approached  only  by  a  nar- 
row ravine,  through  which  the  hverwinds. 
There  are  extensive  ruins  at  Petra  of  Ro- 
man date. 

S  e  1  a  li .  This  Hebrew  musical  term, 
which  occurs  73  times  in  the  Psalms,  and 
elsewhere  only  in  Hab.  3.3,  9,  13,  is  sup- 
posed to  be  connected  with  the  use  of  the 
temple  music. 

Seleucia  {se-leu'sfil-ah;  Lat.  sU'eu-sVa). 
Acts  13:4;  14  :  26.  The  seaport  of  Antioch, 
and  the  place  at  which  Paul  and  Barnabas 
embarked,  and  to  which  they  returned  on 
their  first  missionary  journey.  It  was  on 
the  Mediterranean,  about  five  miles  north 
of  the  river  Orontes,  and  was  founded  by 
Seleucus  Nicator,  died  B.  c.  280. 

Sennaclierib  {sen-nak'e-rJb,  or  stn-na-lce'- 
rib),  sin,  the  moon,  increases  brothers,  was 
the  son  and  successor  of  Sargon.  In  the 
third  year  of  his  reign,  B.  c.  700,  Sennacherib 
turned  his  arms  toward  tlie  west,  attacked 
Sidon,  and  finally  marched  against  Heze- 
kiah,  king  of  Judah.  "  Sennacherib  came 
up  against  all  the  fenced  cities  of  Judah, 
and  took  them."  2  Kings  18: 13.  There  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  record  which  he  has 
left  of  his  campaign  against  "Hiskiah"  in 
his  third  year  is  tlie  war  with  Hezekiah  so 
briefly  toiached  in  2  Kings  18  :  13-16.  In  the 
following  year.  b.  c.  699,  Sennacherib  made 
his  second  expedition  into  Palestine.  Hez- 
ekiah had  revolted,  and  claimed  the  pro- 
tection of  Egypt.  Sennacherib  therefore 
attacked  Egypt,  and  from  his  camp  at  La- 
chish  and  Libnah  he  sent  an  insulting  let- 
ter to  Hezekiah  at  Jerusalem.  2  Kings  19 : 
14.  In  answer  to  Hezekiah's  prayer  the 
Assyrians  lost,  in  a  single  night,  by  some 
awful  manifestation  of  divine  power,  185,- 
000  men !  The  camp  immediately  broke 
up ;  the  king  fled.  2  Kings  19 :  35-37.  Sen- 
nacherib reached  his  capital  in  safety,  en- 
gaged in  other  wars,  though  he  seems  to 
have  carefully  avoided  Palestine,  and  was 
slain  by  two  of  his  sons,  15  or  20  years 
after  his  flight  from  Jerusalem.  Isa.  37  :  38. 
He  reigned  22  years,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Esar-haddon,  b.  c.  680.  Sennacherib  was 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  of  the  Assyrian 
194 


kings.  He  seems  to  have  been  the  first  who 
fixed  the  seat  of  government  permanently 
at  Nineveh,  which  he  carefully  repaired 
and  adorned  with  palaces  and  splendid 
buildings. 

Serapliim,  princes.  The  name  given  by 
Isaiah  to  the  spirits  waiting  on  the  Lord,  and 
which  are  apparently  the  most  exalted  of 
the  angelic  host,    Isa.  6 : 2,  6. 

Sergiu-s  Paulus  (ser'ji-iis  pctu'lus),  pro- 
consul of  Cyprus.  Acts  13  : 7,  etc,  a.  d.  44. 
He  is  described  as  an  intelligent  man,  and 
yielded  to  the  claims  of  the  gospel. 

Serpent.  The  sen^ent  is  a  creature  dis- 
tinguished for  its  subtility,'  Gen.  3 : 1,  and 
wisdom  in  avoiding  danger,  Matt.  10 :  16.  as 
w  ell  as  for  the  instinctive  dread  which  it 
inspires  in  man  and  most  animals.  About 
one-sixth  of  all  the  species  known  are  ven- 
omous. The  devil  is  called  "the  serpent" 
and  "the  old  serpent,"  Rev.  12:9,  14,  1.5, 
probably  in  allusion  to  his  subtihty  and 
malice,  and  also  to  the  fact  that  in  tenipting 
our  first  parents  to  disobey  God  he  employed 
a  serpent  or  assumed  the  form  of  one.  2 
Cor.  11:3.  We  frequently  find  references 
in  Scripture  to  serpent-charming.  Ps.  58  :  4, 
5  ;  Eccles.  10  :  11 ;  Jer.  8  :  17  ;  James  3  : 7. 
This  practice  is  still  common  in  the  east. 
Serpent-charmers  carry  enormous  snakes, 
generally  black,  about  them,  allow  them  to 
crawl  all  over  their  persons  and  into  their 
bosoms— always,  however,  with  certain  pre- 
cautions, either  necessary  or  pretended  to 
be  so.  They  repeatedly 'breathe  strongly 
into  the  face  of  the  serpent,  and  occasion- 
ally blow  spittle  or  some  medicated  com- 
position upon  them.  In  Ps.  58 : 4,  5,  6, 
there  is  evidently  an  allusion  to  certain 
kinds  of  serpents  which  cannot  be  charmed. 
Such  serpents  there  still  are,  winch  the 
charmer  cannot  subdue;  and  instances  are 
related  in  which  they  have  fallen  vicnms 
to  their  daring  attempts.  When  God  pun- 
ished the  munnurs  of  the  Israelites  in  the 
wilderness  by  sending  among  them  serpents 
whose  fieiy  bite  was  fatal,  Moses,  upon  their 
repentance,  was  commanded  to  make  a  ser- 
pent of  brass,  whose  polished  surface  shone 
like  fire,  and  to  set  it  up  on  the  banner- 
pole  in  the  midst  of  the  people  ;  and  who- 
ever w^as  bitten  by  a  serpent  had  but  to 
look  up  at  it  and  live.  Num.  21 : 4-9.  This 
brazen  serpent  was  a  type  of  Christ :  "As 
Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilder- 
ness, even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be  hfted 
up,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him  should 
not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life."  John  3 : 
14, 15.  To  present  the  serpent  form,  as  de- 
prived of  its  powder  to  hurt,  impaled  as  the 
trophy  of  a  conqueror,  v.as  to  assert  that 
e^^l,  physical  and  spiritual,  had  been  over- 
come, and  thus  help  to  strengthen  the  weak 
faith  of  the  Israehtes  in  a  victorj-  over 
both.  The  "fiery  flying  serpent"  of  Isa. 
30:6  has  no  relation  to  the  "fiery"  or 
"  burning  serpents  "  of  Num.  21 :6,  8.  The 
latter  were  so  called  from  the  "fiery  "  or 
burning  nature  of  their  bite  or  sting. 

Servant.  This  word  is  frequently  used 
in  our  version  of  both  Testaments, 'when 
"slave"  would  have  been  much  more  fit- 
ting. Joshua  was  Moses'  attendant,  Ex.  24 : 


SEVEN 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


SHARON 


13;  33  :  11— clerk  or  secretary  we  might  in 
modem  language  say— it  being  underetood 
that  the  designation  in  the  last-named  pas- 
sage does  not  define  Joshua's  age.  But  the 
words  'ebed,  implying  "laborer"  in  He- 
brew, and  doulos  in  Greek,  are  spoken  of 
slaves.  It  does  not  at  all  follow,  because 
the  Mosaic  law  and  the  Christian  dispensa- 
tion found  slavery  existing  in  the  world, 
and  made  regulations  for  it,  that  God  ap- 
proved the  system  of  one  man's  holding 
another  as  his  propertJ^  Laws  have  to 
deal  with  persons  as  they  are,  in  order  to 
make  them  what  they  ouglit  to  be.  The 
kidnapping  or  unlawful  stealing  of  men  for 
slavery  was  branded  as  a  capital  crime. 
Ex.  21  :  16 ;  Deut.  21  :  7 ;  1  Tim.  1 :  10. 
Slaves  among  the  Hebrews  were  of  two 
general  classes  :  I.  Hebrews ;  II.  Non-He- 
brews. I.  Hebrews.  There  were  three  ways 
by  which  a  Hebrew  might  become  a  slave  : 

I.  Poverty.  He  might  sell  himself  in  de- 
fault of  payment  of  debt.  Lev.  25  :  39.  2. 
Theft.  When  he  could  not  pay  the  amount 
required.  Ex.  22 : 1,  3.  According  to  Jose- 
phus,  he  could  only  be  sold  to  a  Hebrew. 
3.  Parents  could  sell  their  daughters  as 
maid-servants,  but  they  were  ultimately  to 
be  their  masters'  concubines.  Ex.  21 : 7. 
There  were  three  ways  by  ^vhich  the  servi- 
tude might  end  :  1.  When  the  debt  or  other 
obligation  was  met.  2.  When  the  year 
of  Jubilee  had  come.  Lev.  25 :  40.  3.  At 
the  conclusion  of  six  years  of  service.  Ex. 
21 :  2  ;  Deut.  15  :  12.  "indeed  no  servitude 
could  last  longer  than  six  years.  The 
owner  was  expressly  forbidden  to  "rule 
over  him  with  rigor."  Lev.  25:43.  Nor 
was  he  suffered  to  go  away  empty,  but  must 
be  furnished  Uberally  out  of  the  flock,  out 
of  the  floor,  and  out  of  the  wine-press. 
Deut.  15 :  14.  A  slave  might  even  marry  a 
daughter  of  his  master.  1  Chron.  2  :  35.  *In 
the  case  of  a  female  Hebrew  slave,  there 
was  not  the  release  at  the  end  of  six  years  : 
but  if  marriage  with  the  owner  or  his  son 
did  not  take  place,  she  was  not  to  be  sold 
to  a  foreigner,  but  "  he  shall  cause  her  to  be 
redeemed,"  i.  e.,  he  should  return  her  to 
her  father  or  find  her  another  Hebrew  mas- 
ter, or  else  free  her  absolutely.    Ex.  21 : 7- 

II.  When  Hebrews  became  the  slaves  of 
non-Hebrews,  they  might  be  redeemed  or 
redeem  themselves,  or  else  go  free  at  the 
year  of  Jubilee.  Jewish  Hebrew  slavery 
terminated  at  the  captivity.  II.  Non-He- 
brews. They  were  mostly  captives  made 
in  war  from  the  neighboring  tribes,  but  be- 
sides were  purchased  of  dealers.  Lev.  25  : 
45 ;  Gen.  14  ;  14 ;  Eccl.  2 : 7.  This  sort  of 
slavery  survived  the  captivity,  but  was  op- 
posed "by  the  Pharisees.  Thirty  shekels 
seems  to  have  been  the  averageprice  of  a 
slave.  Ex.  21 :  32.  Slaves  were  protected 
against  violence  :  for  if  they  lost  an  eye  or 
a  tooth  from  rough  handling  they  got  tlieir 
liberty.  Ex.  21 :  26,  27.  To  kill  one  was 
murder.  Lev.  24  :  17,  22.  They  had  full  re- 
ligious privileges,  since  they  were  circum- 
cised.   Gen.  17  :  12. 

Seven.  Among  the  Hebrews  this  was 
a  kind  of  compl-ete  or  sacred  number.  It 
was  noted  also  among  the  Persians,  an- 


cient Indians,  Greeks  and  Romans.  The 
pecuharity  of  the  Hebrew  view  consists  in 
the  special  dignity  of  the  seventh,  and  not 
simply  in  that  of  seven.  The  Sabbath  being 
the  seventh  day  suggested  the  adoption  of 
seven  as  the  coefficient,  so  to  say,  for  the 
I  appointment  of  all  sacred  periods,  and  we 
thus  find  the  seventh  month  ushered  in  by 
tlie  Feast  ofTrumpets,  and  signahzed  by  the 
celebration  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 
and  the  Great  Day  of  Atonement ;  seven 
weeks  as  the  interval  between  the  Passover 
and  the  Pentecost ;  the  seventh  year  as  the 
sabbatical  year;  and  the  year  succeeding 
7X7  years 'as  the  Jubilee  year.  Seven  days 
were  appointed  as  the  length  of  the  feasts 
of  Passover  and  Tabernacles ;  seven  days 
for  the  ceremonies  of  the  consecration  of 
priests,  and  so  on  ;  seven  victims  to  be  of- 
fered on  any  special  occasion,  as  in  Baal- 
am's  sacrifice.  Num.  23  : 1,  and  especially 
at  the  ratification  of  a  treaty,  the  notion 
of  seven  being  embodied  in  the  very  term 
signifying  to  swear,  literally  meaning  to  do 
seven  times.  Gen.  21 :  28.  As  to  the  reason 
of  the  fact,  three  is  the  signature  of  God, 
in  the  ever-blessed  Trinity;  four  of  the 
W'Orld— four  elements,  four  seasons,  four 
winds,  etc.,  etc.  There  are  reasons,  then, 
amply  sufficient,  why  seven,  being  thus,  as 
it  is,  made  up  of  three  and  four,  should 
be  itself  the  signature  of  the  covenant. 
No  mere  accident  or  caprice  dictated  the 
selection  of  it.  Seven  is  used  for  any  round 
number,  or  for  completeness,  as  we  say  a 
dozen,  or  as  a  speaker  says  he  will  say  tivo 
or  three  words.  Notice,  the  animals  w'ent 
into  the  ark  by  sevens :  the  years  of  plenty 
and  famine  were  marked  by  sevens,  Geii. 
7  :  2 :  41 :  2,  3 ;  the  golden  candlestick  had 
seven  branches,  and  there  were  "seven 
stars  "  and  seven  churches.  Rev.  1 :  20  ;  2 : 
1.  In  the  same  book  we  read  of  seven  spir- 
its, seven  seals,  seven  trumpets,  seven 
thunders,  seven  vials,  seven  plagues,  and 
seven  angels.    Rev.  8:1;  15  : 1. 

Sliadrach  [shd'drak).    See  Abednego. 

Sliallum  (shCd'lum),  retribidion.  The 
murderer  of  Zachariah,  king  of  Israel.  He 
usurped  the  crown,  but  was  slain  by  Mena- 
hem  at  the  end  of  the  first  month  of  his 
reign,  b.  c.  771.    2  Kings  15 :  10-15. 

Slialmaiieser  (skal-ma-ne'zer),  Salman  is 
gracious.  A  king  of  Assyria,  B.  c.  727-722. 
Hoshea,  king  of  Israel,  liad  revolted,  but 
was  conquered  by  Shalmaneser.  2  Kings 
17  :  3.  Hoshea  revolted  a  second  time  and 
allied  himself  with  So,  king  of  Egypt,  and 
Shalmaneser  returned,  ravaged  "Samaria, 
besieged  Hoshea,  and  after  three  years  Sa- 
maria fell.  But  meantime  a  rebellion 
headed  by  Sargon  had  broken  out  in  As- 
syria, and  Shalmaneser  was  deposed.  It  is 
not  stated  in  2  Kings  17  :  6  that  Shalmaneser 
took  Samaria,  but  that  the  king  of  Assyria 
did,  probably  Sargon. 

Sharon  [shdr'on),  the  plain.  1.  A  district 
in  Palestine  lying  upon  the  seacoast.  It 
extended  from  Joppa  to  Csesarea  (whence 
it  is  frequently  in  Scripture  coupled  with 
Carmel),  and  from  the  central  hills  to  the 
Mediterranean.  It  was  a  region  well 
adapted  for  j)asture,  1  Chron.  27  :  29 :  Isa. 
195 


SHEBA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SHEWBREAD 


65  :  10,  ven-  fertile,  Isa.  33  :  9  ;  35  :  2,  and 
celebrated  for  its  roses.  Song  of  Sol.  2  : 1. 
Its  locality  is  further  indicated  as  being  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Lydda,  Acts  9  :  35, 
where  it  is  called  Saron,  A.  V.,  but  Sharon 
in  K.  V. 

Sheba  (she'ba),  seven  or  a?i  oath.  1.  A 
wealthy  region  in  Arabia  bordering  on  the 
Ked  Sea.  The  queen  of  Sheba  visited  Sol- 
omon, coming  "to  Jerusalem  with  a  veiy 
great  train,  with  camels  that  bear  spices, 
and  very  much  gold,  and  precious  stones." 
1  Kings  10  :  1-13;  2  Chron.  9  : 1-12.  Many 
ancient  writers  noted  the  abundance  of 
spices  in  the  Yemen  or  Sabaean  country. 
Strabo  asserts  that  the  enormous  profits  of 
the  spice  trade  made  the  Sabaeaus  one  of 
the  wealthiest  nations  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  They  used  gold  and  silver  most 
lavishly  in  their  furniture,  their  utensils, 
and  even  on  the  doors  and  roofs  of  their 
houses.  2.  A  town  in  Simeon,  mentioned 
between  Beer-sheba  and  Moladah.  Josh. 
19 :  2.  Shema  is  named  next  to  Moladah 
in  Josh.  15 :  26,  and  is  probably  identical 
witli  tins  Sheba. 

S  li  e  c  li  e  m  (she'kem),  shoulder.  Gen. 
35 : 4.  A  town  in  the  valley  between 
Mounts  Ebal  and  Gerizim ;  called  also 
Sichem,  Sychem,  Sychar.  Neapohs,  and 
now  Xablus,  were  successively  on  or  near 
the  site  of  Shechem.  It  was  34  miles  north 
of  Jerusalem,  about  seven  miles  southeast 
of  Samaria,  and  its  site  is  unrivalled  for 
beauty  in  Palestine.  Two  mountains  par- 
allel to  each  other,  Ebal  and  Gerizim,  al- 
most meeting  at  their  bases  and  only  a  mile 
and  a  half  apart  at  their  summits,  enclose 
a  beautiful  htile  valley  extending  east  and 
west,  not  more  than  a"  hundred  yards  wide 
at  the  narrowest  part,  and  widening  out  in 
both  directions.  The  city  is  mentioned  48 
times  in  the  Bible.  Its  liistorj'  begins  4000 
years  ago,  before  Jerusalem  was  founded, 
and  extends  through  Scripture  from  Abra- 
ham to  Christ.  Jesus  visited  the  region, 
preached  to  a  woman  at  Jacob's  well,  and 
many  from  Sychar  believed  on  him.  John 
4 :  5,  *39-42.  Whether  Sychar  occupied  pre- 
cisely the  same  site  as  ancient  Shechem 
has  been  a  question  in  dispute  among  schol- 
ars. Dr.  Thomson  describes  the  situation 
thus:  "Nothing  in  Palestine  surpasses  (the 
vale)  in  fertility  and  natural  beauty ;  and 
this  is  mainly  due  to  the  fine  mill-stream 
which  flows  through  it.  The  whole  coun- 
tr>^  is  thickly  studded  with  villages,  the 
plains  clothed  with  grass  or  grain,  and  the 
rounded  hills  with  orchards  of  ohve,  fig, 
pomegranate,  and  other  trees.  .  .  Nablus 
is  a  queer  old  place.  The  streets  are  nar- 
row and  vaulted  over  ;  and  in  the  winter- 
time it  is  diflQcult  to  pass  along  many  of 
them  on  account  of  brooks,  which  rush 
over  the  pavement  with  deafening  roar. 
In  this  respect  I  know  no  city  with  which 
to  compare  it  except  Brusa ;  and,  like  that 
city,  it  has  mulberry,  orange,  pomegranate, 
and  other  trees  mingled  in  with  the  houses, 
whose  odoriferous  flowers  load  the  air  with 
delicious  perfume  during  the  months  of 
April  and  May.  Here  the  bilbul  delights 
to  sit  and  sing,  and  thousands  of  other  birds 
196 


unite  to  swell  the  chorus.  See  Sauiari- 
taus. 

Sheep,  Shepherd.  Gen.  4 :  2  ;  46  :  32. 
Sheep  were  used  in  the  sacriticial  offerings, 
both  the  adult  animal,  Ex.  20 :  24,  and  the 
lamb.  Ex.  29  :  38  ;  Lev.  9:3;  12 :  6.  Sheep 
and  lambs  formed  an  important  article  of 
food.  1  Sam.  25 :  18.  The  wool  was  used 
as  clothing.  Lev.  13:47.  "  Rams' skins  dyed 
red  "  were  used  as  a  covering  for  the  taber- 
nacle. Ex.  25 :  5.  Sheep  and  lambs  were 
sometimes  paid  as  tribute.  2  Kings  3 :  4. 
Sheep-shearing  is  alluded  to.  Gen.  31 :  19, 
Sheep-dogs  were  employed  in  biblical  times. 
Job  30:  1.  Shepherds  in  Palestine  and  the 
East  generally  go  before  their  flocks,  calling 
to  them,  and  the  sheep  follow ;  comp. 
John  10  :  4  ;  Ps.  77  :  20 ;  80 : 1,  though  they 
also  drive  them.  Gen.  33 :  13.  Rev.  John 
Hartley  gives  an  illustration  of  John  10 : 1- 
IG :  "  Having  had  my  attention  directed  to 
John  10  :  3,  I  asked  a  shepherd  to  call  one 
of  his  sheep.  He  did  so,  and  it  instantly 
left  its  pasturage  and  its  companions  and 
ran  up  to  the  hands  of  the  shepherd  with 
signs  of  pleasure  and  with  a  prompt  obe- 
dience which  I  had  never  before  observed 
in  any  other  animal.  It  is  also  true  in  tiiis 
countiy  that  '  a  stranger  will  they  not  fol- 
low, but  will  flee  from  him.' "  The  com- 
mon sheep  of  Syria  and  Palestine  are  the 
broad-tailed,  which,  when  fattened,  have 
tails  of  an  enormous  size.  "  I  have  seen 
many  in  Lebanon  so  heavy,"  says  Dr. 
Thomson,  "that  the  owners  could  not 
carry  them  without  difficulty.  .  .  The 
cooks  use  this  mass  of  fat  instead  of  Arab 
butter.  .  .  .  This  is  the  '  rump '  so  often 
mentioned  in  the  Levitical  sacrifices,  which, 
was  to  be  taken  off  hard  bv  the  backbone. 
Ex.  29  :  22 ;  Lev.  3  : 9  ;  7  :3  ;  9  :  19.  It  is,  in 
fact,  not  properly  a  tail,  but  a  mass  of  mar- 
row-Uke  fat,  which  spreads  over  the  whole 
rump  of  the  sheep,  and  down  the  caudal 
extremity,  till  near  the  end."  The  shear- 
ing of  the  sheep  was  celebrated  anciently, 
as  often  now,  with  much  festivitv.  Gen. 
31 :  19  ;  38  :  12,  13 ;  1  Sam.  25  :  4-8,  36 ;  2 
Sam.  13,  23-28. 

Shekel,  Gen.  24  :  22  ;  Ex.  30  :  13,  means 
"  weight,"  and  was  the  name  of  a  particular 
weight  of  uncoined  gold  or  silver,  and  in 
later  histor>-  of  a  silver  coin  worth  about 
•  65  cents.  See  Money,  Measures  aud 
Weights. 

Shem  [shim),  name.  The  eldest  son  of 
Noah.  His  conduct  toward  his  father  on 
one  occasion  is  noted  with  praise.  Gen.  9  : 
20-27.  The  Jews  are  his  descendants,  and, 
besides,  there  are  the  Aramaeans,  Persians, 
Assyrians,  and  Arabians.  The  languages 
spoken  by  the  descendants  of  Shem— the 
Hebrew,  Chaldee,  Assyrian,  and  Arabic — 
are  called  Semitic  languages. 

Shewbread.  Ex.  25  :  30.  Unleavened 
bread  offered  every  Sabbath  on  the  golden 
table  in  the  holy  place,  made  into  twelve 
cakes,  according' to  the  twelve  tribes  of  Is- 
rael, and  placed  in  two  piles  or  rows.  The 
old  cakes  remained  till  replaced  by  the  new, 
and  hence  the  name  "  continual  bread." 
Num.  4:7:  Lev.  24 :  8.  As  a  general  rule 
the  old  could  be  eaten  by  the  priests  alone^ 


SHIBBOLETH 


dF  THE  BIBLE. 


SILOAH 


and  by  them  onlv  in  the  court  of  the  sane-  i 
tuary.    1  Sam.  21 :  1-6 ;  Matt.  12 :  3. 

Shibboleth  (shWbo-lcth),  stream.  A 
word  which  the  Gileadites  required  the  fu- 
gitive Ephraimites  to  speak,  in  order  to  de'- 
tect  by  their  pronunciation  whether  or  no 
they  were  really  of  that  tribe.  Judg.  12  : 4- 
6.  The  variations  of  dialect  in  the'spoken 
language  of  Palestine  made  it  difficult  for 
the  Ephraimites  to  speak  it. 

Shiloh  {shl'loh).  1.  The  word  "  Shiloh,"  as 
used  in  Gen.  49 :  10.  has  given  rise  to  much  ] 
discussion.    Some  consider  it  as  referring  i 
to  the  town  ;  others  apply  it  to  the  Messiah. 

2.  A  city  of  Ephraim,  north  of  Bethel,  and 
where  the  tabernacle  was  set  up.  Josh.  18 : 1. 
It  was  thus  the  sacred  capital  where  solemn 
assembhes  were  held,  Josh.  18  :  8-10 ;  19 :  5]  ; 
21:  2;  22: 12:  not,  however,  to  the  entire 
exclusion  of  other  places.  Josh.  24  : 1,  2.5, 
26.  Through  the  period  of  the  judges'  ad- 
ministration the  tabernacle  seems  to  have 
remained  at  Shiloh.  Judg.  18:31:  21:12, 
19,  21.  It  was  there  in  the  priesthood  of 
Eli.  Samuel  Avas  there  called  to  be  a 
prophet.    1  Sam.  1 :  3,  9,  24 :  2 :  14 ;  3 :  21 ;  4 : 

3,  4, 12 ;  1  Kings  2  :  27.  After  the  ark  of 
God  had  been  taken  by  the  Philistines  we 
do  not  find  that  it  was  "ever  restored  to  the 
tabernacle  at  Shiloh.  It  was  sometimes 
with  the  army,  1  Sam.  14  :  18  ;  but  its  rest- 
ing-place was  with  Abinadab  at  Kirjath- 
iearim.  1  Sam.  7 : 1,  2.  And  then  we  hear 
little  more  of  Shiloh  ;  the  tabernacle  itself 
was  removed,  2  Chron.  1:3;  and  Jerusa- 
lem became  ultimately  the  city  which  the 
Lord  chose,  to  place  his  name  there. 

Shimei  {shtm'e-l),  famous.  The  name  of 
14  or  more  Hebrews,  of  whom  the  two  fol- 
lowing may  be  described.  1.  A  son  of  Ger- 
shon  the  son  of  Levi,  Num.  3  :  IS ;  1  Chron. 
6 :  17, 42 ;  23  : 7.  9.  10 ;  called  Shimi,  Ex.  6  : 
17,  A.  V.  It  is  to  his  descendants,  probably, 
that  reference  is  made  in  Zech.  12  :  13 ; 
comp.  Num.  3  :  21.  2.  The  son  of  Gera,  a 
Benjamite  and  a  kinsman  of  Saul,  who  in- 
sulted king  David  when  fleeing  before  Ab- 
salom, and  humbled  himself  on  David's 
return.  Shimei  gave  his  parole  never  to 
leave  Jerusalem,  but  broke  it  by  pursuing 
his  fugitive  servants  to  Gath,  and  was  put 
to  death  on  returning.  2  Sam.  16 :  5-14 ; 
19  :  16-23 ;  1  Kings  2  :  8,  9,  36-46. 

Shinar  (shVnar),  the  L.and  of,  casting 
outf  country  of  two  rivers?  The  region 
where  the  people,  after  the  Flood,  made 
bricks  and  used  sUme  (bitumen)  for  mortar. 
Gen.  11 :  2,  3.  It  would  seem  originally  to 
have  denoted  the  northern  part  of  Bab- 
ylonia, as  "  Chaldsea  "  denoted  the  south- 
ern part ;  but  subsequently,  like  Chaldgea, 
it  was  sometimes  used  for  the  whole.  Gen. 
10 :  10  ;  Isa.  11 :  11 :  Dan.  1:2;  Zech.  5 :  11. 
In  Josh.  7  :  21  it  is  rendered  "  Babylonish." 
Among  its  cities  were  Babel  (Babylon), 
Erech  or  Orech  (Orchoi),  Calneh  or  Calno 
(probablv  Niflfer),  and  Accad. 

S)ii.shak  (shi-shak).  King  of  Egypt, 
known  as  Sheshonk  I.  The  first  year  of 
Shishak  would  about  correspond  to  the  26th 
of  Solomon.  B.  c.  989.  and  the  20th  of  Shi- 
shak to  the  5th  of  Rehoboam.  Shishak  at 
the  beginning  of  his  reign  received  the 
13 


fugitive  Jeroboam.  1  Kings  11:  40;  and  it 
was  probably  at  the  instigation  of  Jeroboam 
that  he  attacked  Rehoboam. 

Shittim  {shlt'tim),  acacias.  The  scene  of 
the  sin  with  the  Midianites,  and  of  its  ter- 
rible punishment,  Num.  25  ;  31 :  1-12  ;  the 
sending  forth  of  the  spies  to  Jericho ;  and 
the  final  preparation  before  crossing  the 
Jordan.    Josh.  2. 

Shittim-wood,  from  the  shittah  tree, 
Isa.  41 :19,  A.  V. ;  the  R.  V.  reads  "acacia," 
was  much  used  in  constructing  and  fur- 
nishing the  tabernacle.  Ex.  25  : 5,  13,  A.  V. 
The  only  timber  tree  of  any  size  now  found 
in  the  Arabian  desert  is  the  seyal  {Acacia 
seyal). 

Shimem  (shu'nem),  ttvo  resting-places.  A 
city  in  the  territory  of  Issachar.  Josh.  19  : 
18.  The  Phihstines  encamped  there  before 
the  great  battle  of  Gilboa.  1  Sam.  28  : 4. 
David's  nurse,  Abishag,  was  of  Shunem,  1 
Kings  1 : 3,  and  it  was  the  residence  of  the 
Shunammite  woman  who  entertained  Eli- 
sha.  2  Kings  4 : 8.  It  answers  to  the  mod- 
ern Sulem,  on  the  southwestern  slope  of 
Little  Hermon,  about  53  miles  north  of  Je- 
i-usalem. 

Shushan  (shu'shan),  a  lily.  A  celebrated 
city,  called  by  the  Greeks  Susa,  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Elam".  There  are  various  accounts 
of  its  origin ;  it  must  have  existed  at  an 
early  period.  The  site  of  Shushan  has  been 
identified  with  the  modern  Shush  or  Sus, 
between  the  river  Choaspes  {Kherkhah)  and 
the  Ulai  {Eulxus).  These  are  really  two 
branches  of  the  same  river,  which  divides 
about  20  miles  above  Susa.  Hence,  Daniel 
might  be  standing  on  the  "banks  of  the 
Ulai"  and  also  "between  Ulai."  Dan. 
8 : 2, 16.  The  site  is  nearly  due  east  of 
Babylon  and  north  of  the'  Persian  Gulf. 
The  great  central  hall  of  the  palace  at 
Shushan  was  343  feet  long  by  244  feet  wide. 
The  king's  gate,  where  Mordecai  sat,  was 
probably  a  hall  100  feet  square,  150  feet 
from  the  northern  portico.  Between  these 
two  was  probably  the  inner  court,  where 
Esther  appeared  before  the  king. 

Siddim  {sld'dim),  a  depression.  The  vale 
in  which  were  "slime  pits,"  near  the  plain 
whereon  stood  the  cities  of  Sodom  and 
Gomorrah.  Gen.  14  :  3,  10 ;  19  :  28.  See 
Sodom. 

Sidon,    Gen.  10:1.5,  A. v.    See  Zidon. 

Sihon  (s'l'hon),  sweeping  aivay.  A  king  of 
the  Amorites  at  Heshbon,  who  was  slain, 
and  his  kingdom  taken  bv  the  Hebrews. 
Num.  21 :  21-31 ;  Deut.  2 :  26 ;'  Ps.  1:35 :  11,  12  ; 
Jer.  48 :  45. 

Silas  {si'las),  Acts  15  :  40,  contracted  from 
Silvanws  {sil-vd')ius),  woody,  2  Cor.  1 :  19,  is 
called  one  of  the  chief  of  the  brethren. 
Acts  15 :  22,  and  a  faithful  brother.  1  Pet. 
5 :  12.  He  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  native 
of  Antioch,  and  a  member  of  the  Christian 
church  there.  Acts  15  :  37-41.  He  was  the 
associate  of  Paul  in  several  of  his  raission- 
an-  tours,  and  his  fellow-prisoner  at  Phil- 
ippi.  Acts  15  :  40  :  16  :  25,  29  ;  17  : 4,  10,  15. 
He  is  called  a  prophet.    Acts  15  :  32. 

Siloah  {si-lo'ah  or  sU'o-ah),  R.  V.,  "She- 
lah."  Neh.  3  :  15 ;  or  Siloam,  John  9:7,  11 ; 
or  Shiloah.  Isa.  8:6.  A  rivulet  on  the 
197 


SIMEON 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SOLOMON 


southeast  of  Jerusalem,  at  the  foot  of  Zion 
and  Moriah ;  supposed  by  some  to  be  the 
same  with  En-rogel  and  Gihon.  There 
were  two  pools,  the  ujij^er,  Isa.  7:3.  or 
king's  pool,  Neh.  2 :  14,  and  the  low  cr  pool. 
Isa.  22 : 9.  There  was  also  a  tower  at  Si  loam. 
Luke  13 : 4. 

Simeon  {svm'e-on),  a  hearkening.  1.  The 
second  son  of  Jacob,  born  of  Leah.  Gen. 
29 :  33.  He  participated  in  the  revenge  of 
Levi  against  the  Shechemites  for  the  out- 
rage upon  Dinah.  Gen.  34  :  25,  30 ;  49:5-7. 
Before  entering  Canaan,  the  tribe  of  Simeon 
had  become  the  lowest  of  the  tribes  in 
point  of  number.  Num.  1 :  23;  26  :  14.  To 
the  Simeonites  was  assigned  the  territory 
in  the  southwest,  with  a  number  of  towns, 
Avliich  had  been  allotted  to  Judah.  Josh. 
19  : 1-9.  An  emigration  from  this  tribe  took 
place,  at  an  early  period,  towards  Gedor, 
and  afterwards  to* Mount  Seir.  1  Chron.  4  : 
24-43 ;  Ezek.  48  :  24  ;  Rev.  7:7.  2.  One  of 
the  ancestors  of  Mary,  Luke  3  :  30,  A.  V.,  but 
R.  V.  reads  "  Symeon."  3.  An  aged  godly 
Jew  residing  a't  Jerusalem,  who  had  been 
favored  with  a  divine  intimation  that  he 
should  live  to  see  the  Lord's  Christ.  And 
being  led  by  the  S}:>irit,  at  the  time  when 
Jesus  was  presented  by  his  mother  at  the 
temple,  he  recognized  the  infant  as  the  ex- 
pected Messiah,  and  took  him  in  his  arms 
and  blessed  him,  glorifying  God.  Luke  2  : 
25-35.  4.  A  Christian  teacher  at  Antioch,  sur- 
named  Niger  (black), evidentlyfrom  his  dark 
complexion.    Acts  13:1,  R.V.  "Symeon." 

Simon  (sl'mon),  a  hearing,conir acted  from 
Simeon,  a  sorcerer,  who  professed  to  be  a 
convert  to  the  Christian  faith,  and  wasbai> 
tized  by  Philip  at  Samaria,  but  was  severely 
rebuked  by  Peter  as  a  hypocrite,  because  he 
desired  to  'buy  the  gift  of  the  S]>irit.  Acts 
8  : 9.  Hence  the  buying  and  selling  of  ec- 
clesiastical rights,  benefits,  or  privileges  is 
called  simony,  a  high  otfence  against  the 
purity  and  integritv  of  the  Christian  faith. 

2.  Simon  Peter.     Matt.  4:18.     See  Peter. 

3.  Simon  the  Canaanite,  Matt.  10 : 4,  or  Si- 
mon Zelotes.  or  the  zealous,  one  of  the 
tw^elve  apostles ;  was  one  of  the  party  called 
Zealots,  hence  his  name.  The  epithet  "  Ca- 
naanite "  is  properly  "  Kananite,"  the  Chal- 
dee  for  "  zeal,"  and  has  no  reference  to  lo- 
cality. 4.  The  brother  of  our  Lord,  Matt. 
13 :  55 ;  Mark  6:3;  not  to  be  confounded 
with  the  preceding,  nor  with  Symeon,  who 
succeeded  James  as  bishop  of  the  church 
in  Jerusalem.  5.  A  Pharisee.  Luke  7  :  36, 
40.  6.  A  leper.  ]\Iatt.  26 : 6.  7.  The  father 
-of  Judas  Iscariot.  John  6  :  71.  8.  The  man 
of  Cyrene  who  was  compelled  to  bear  our 
Saviour's  cross.  Matt.  27  :  32  ;  Mark  15  :  21 ; 
Luke  23  :  26.  9.  The  tanner  at  Joppa  with 
whom  Peter  lodged.    Acts  9  :  43. 

Sin,  Wilderne.ss  of  (shi).  A  region  be- 
tween Ehm  and Rephidim.  Ex.  16: 1 ;  17  : 
1 ;  Num.  33  :  11,  12.  "Here  the  Israelites  were 
first  fed  with  manna  and  quails.  The  wil- 
derness extends  25  miles  along  the  east 
shore  of  the  Red  Sea,  from  Wady  Taiyibeh 
to  wady  Feiran ;  it  is  now  called  the  plain 
of  el-Markha.  It  is  barren,  but  has  a  little 
vegetation. 

Sinai  {sVnc'n,  or  s'l'nal,  or  sl'na-l),  broken 
198 


or  cleft  rocks  f  The  name  of  a  district,  a 
range  of  mountains  and  a  mountain  peak. 
The  district  is  in  the  peninsula  lying  be- 
tween the  Gulf  of  Suez  and  the  Gulf  of 
Akaba,  and  the  mountains  in  the  district 
are  celebrated  as  the  place  v.here  the  Mo- 
saic law  Avas  given.  Ex.  16:1;  19:2-25; 
24  :  12, 18 ;  25  :  40 ;  34  :  2-35 ;  Lev.  7  :  38 ;  25 : 
1 ;  26 :  46 ;  27  :  34 :  Deut.  33  : 2 ;  Judg.  5:5; 
Heb.  8:5;  12  :  18-21.  The  "  peak  "  where 
the  law  was  given  is  now  generally  believed 
to  be  identical  with  Ras  Sufsafeh,  the  north- 
ern portion  of  Jebel  Musa. 
Slave.  See  Servant. 
Smyrna  {smir'nah),  myrrh.  An  ancient 
Ionian  city  on  the  western  coast  of  Asia 
Minor.  Rev.  1:11;  2:8.  Smyrna  has  been 
repeatedly  overthrown  by  earthquakes. 
Some  few  of  the  ruins  of  ancient  Smyrna 
are  still  visible  to  the  south  of  the  modern 
city.  The  first  cotton-seeds  were  conveyed 
to  the  United  States  from  Smyrna,  and 
planted  in  1621. 

Sodom  {sOd'orn),  burning  f  The  principal 
city  in  a  group  of  cities  in  the  vale  of  Sid- 
dim,  which  were  destroyed  on  account  of 
the  great  wickedness  of  their  inhabitants. 
Gen.  10  :  19 ;  13  :  3,  10-13 ;  19  : 1-29.  The 
history  of  its  great  wickedness  and  its  ter- 
rible punishment  is  given  in  Gen.  18 :  16- 
33 ;  19  : 1-29.  Sodom  is  often  held  up  as  a 
warning  to  sinners  to  escape  the  terrible 
vengeance  of  God.  Deut.  29 :  23 ;  Isa.  1  : 
9,  10  ;  3:9 ;  13  :  19  ;  Jer.  23  :  14 ;  49  :  18  ; 
Ezek.  16  :  49,  50  ;  Amos  4:11;  Zeph.  2:9; 
Matt.  10  :  15  ;  11 :  23, 24  ;  2  Pet.  2:6-8;  Rev. 
11 : 8.  There  are  only  two  possible  locali- 
ties for  these  cities— the  lower  end  of  the 
lake,  or  the  tipper  end  of  the  same.  Tra- 
dition, from  the  time  of  Josephus  and  Je- 
rome, has  pointed  to  the  southern  site. 
The  northern  site  has  been  strongly  advo- 
cated by  Grove,  Tristram,  Thomson,  and 
others,  and  it  is  probably  the  true  one, 
though  the  question  is  one  which  is  unde- 
cided. 

Solomon  (sdl'o-mon),  pacific.  The  son  of 
David  by  Bathsheba,  and  the  third  king 
of  Israel.  2  Sam.  12  :  24 ;  1  Chron.  22  : 9  ; 
Matt.  1:  6;  1  Kings  2:12.  He  was  also 
called  the  wisest  of  men,  and  Jedidiah  = 
friend  of  Jehovah.  2  Sam.  12  :  24,  25 ;  1 
Kings  4  :  29,  30  ;  7 :  51 ;  10  : 1 ;  11 :  41-43  ;  2 
Chron.  9.  David  voluntarily  resigned  the 
government  to  Solomon,  giving  him  at  the 
same  time  a  solemn  charge  reswcting  the 
administration  of  it.  1  Kings  2  : 1-11.  Sol- 
omon was  celebrated  for  his  wealth,  splen- 
dor, and  wisdom.  The  great  event  of  his 
reign,  however,  was  the  erection  of  the 
temple  at  Jerusalem.  1  Kings  5.  Solomon 
also  established  a  navy  of  ships  at  the  port 
of  Ezion-geber,  on  the  Red  Sea.  1  Kings 
9 :  26-28.  Jerusalem,  the  capital  of  his  vast 
dominions,  became  renowned  for  wealth 
and  splendor.  Matt.  6  :  29  ;  12 :  42 ;  Acts  7  : 
47.  His  arbitrary  exercise  of  the  royal 
j  power,  however,  his  numerous  harem,  the 
introduction  of  cavalry,  the  expenditure 
of  the  royal  house,  and  his  toleration  of 
I  Idolatry  in  the  land  of  Jehovah,  led  him 
j  into  weak  and  sinful  indulgences.  1  Kings 
1 11 :  1-11 ;  12  : 1-4.     The  prosperity  of  his 


SOLOMON,  THE  SONG  OF 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


STOICS 


reign,  was  interrupted  by  disquiets  in  Edom 
and  Syria  ;  and  he  was  foretold  of  ttie  re- 
volt of  the  ten  tribes.  Solomon  died  B.C.  'J75, 
after  a  reign  of  40  years ;  and,  notwithstand- 
ing his  glory,  was  httle  lamented.  1  Kings 
11:11-43;  2  Chron.  9:31.  He  is  said  to 
have  written  3000  proverbs,  1005  Songs,  and 
much  on  natural  history.  1  Kings  4 :  o2,  ;33. 
Some  of  his  proverbs  and  songs  probably 
e.vist  in  the  Book  of  Proverbs,  in  Song  of 
Solomon,  and  in  the  Psalms.  The  Acts  of 
Solomon  appears  to  have  been  a  full  his- 
tory of  his  reign.  1  Kings  11 :  41 ;  2  Chron. 
9:29. 

Solomon,  the  Song  of.  This  book, 
called  also  Canticles,  and  according  to  its 
Hebrew  appellation  "the  Song  of  Songs," 
always  had  a  place  in  the  Jewish  canon, 
and  has  consequently  been  received  into 
that  of  the  Christian  church.  This  book, 
according  to  its  spiritual  meaning,  is  un- 
derstood to  delineate  the  mutual  love  of 
God  and  his  people,  in  which  there  are 
vicissitudes  and  trials,  and  backslidings  and 
repentance,  and  finally  a  perfect  union  be- 
twixt the  Redeemer  and  his  ransomed 
church.  The  same  similitude,  not  indeed 
wrought  out  with  such  particularity,  is  to 
be  found  in  other  parts  of  Scripture.  God 
frequently  condescends  to  take  the  mar- 
riage-tie as  illustrative  of  the  close  fellow- 
sliip  of  himself  with  his  chosen.  Departure 
from  him  is  spiritual  adultery.  His  kind- 
ness is  pre-eminent  in  receiving  back  the 
polluted  one.  And  the  last  glorious  tri- 
umph is  called  the  marriage-supper  of  the 
Lamb,  where  the  bride  is  presented  pure 
and  undefiled,  every  stain  obliterated,  re- 
splendent in  ghstening  robes,  the  meet 
consort  of  a  royal  spouse.  The  idea  is  re- 
peated in  both  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments. See,  for  example,  Ps.  45 ;  Isa.  54 : 
4-6  ;  62  :  4,  5  ;  Jer.  2 :  2  ;  3  : 1,  20 ;  Ezek.  16  ; 
Hos.  2  :  16,  19,  20 ;  Matt.  9  :  15 ;  John  3  :  29 ; 
2  Cor.  11 :  2  ;  Eph.  5 :  23,  29,  30,  32 ;  Rev.  19  : 
7-9 ;  21 :  2.  Such  passages  as  these  show 
how  familiarly  the  idea  was  used,  even  in 
prose  composition;  we  need  not  be  sur- 
prised to  find  it  expanded  in  impassioned 
poetry.  Another  view  is  that  the  book  pre- 
sents a  picture  of  pure  domestic  love  and 
happiness. 

Son  of  God.  This  title  is  continually 
given  to  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  as  ap- 

Sropriated  by  him  it  is  a  full  proof  of  his 
ivinity.  Luke  1 :  32 ;  22  :  70,  71 ;  Rom.  1 : 
4.  The  title  was  appUed  to  Adam,  who 
had  no  human  father.  Luke  3  :  38.  And 
there  is  a  sense  in  which  other  men,  as  the 
creatures  of  God's  hand,  and  still  more  as 
received  into  his  reconciled  family  by 
adoption,  may  be  called  God's  sons.  "Hos. 
1 :  10 ;  John  1 :  12 ;  Acts  17  :  28,  29  ;  Rom.  8 : 
14 ;  Gal.  3  :  26  ;  4  :  .5-7  ;  1  John  3  :  1,  2.  But 
it  was  evidently  with  a  much  higher  mean- 
ing that  our  Lord  is  termed  "The  Son  of 
God."  For  the  Jews  rightly  judged  that  by 
the  assumption  of  this  title  he  laid  claim 
to  equality  with  God,  and,  regarding  it  as 
blasphemy,  and  a  breach  of  the  first  com- 
mandment, they  determined  to  put  him  to 
death.  John  5 :  17,  18.  In  fact,  it  was  on 
this    charge    that    ultimately    they    con- 


demned him.  And  that  it  was  not  in  the 
lower  and  common  sense  that  Christ 
claimed  God  as  his  Father  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  he  did  not  correct  the  Jews' 
opinion ;  which  most  unquestionably  he 
would  have  done,  had  they  been  under  a 
mistake  in  supposing  him  to  have  broken 
the  great  commandment  of  the  law.  See 
Jesus  Christ. 

Son  of  Man.  Matt.  8 :  20.  This  title  is 
given  to  our  Saviour  80  times  in  the  New 
Testament.  See  also  Dan.  7  :  13.  The  Jews 
perfectly  understood  it  to  denote  the  Mes- 
siah. He  calls  himself  not  a  son  of  man 
(among  other  children  of  men),  but  the  Son 
of  man  (above  all  others)— the  ideal,  the 
universal,  the  perfect  Man.  So,  on  the 
other  hand,  he  calls  himself  not  a,  but  the, 
Son  of  God— the  only-begotten  and  eternal 
Son  of  the  Father.  '  Comp.  such  passages 
as  John  1 :  51 ;  3  :  13  ;  6 :  53 ;  Matt.  9:6;  12 : 
8 ;  Mark  2  :  10,  28.  See  Jesus  Christ. 
The  term  son  of  vian  is  applied  to  Ezekiel 
and  Daniel,  meaning  merelv  "man,"  as  it 
does  in  Num.  23  :  19 ;  Job  25  :  6 ;  Ps.  8  : 4, 
etc. 

Sosthenes  (sds'the-nez),  saviour  of  his  na- 
tion. A  Jew  at  Corinth  who  was  seized  and 
beaten  in  the  presence  of  Galho.  Acts  18 : 
12-17. 

Spikenard  (Heb.  7irrd).  Song  of  Sol.  1  : 
12;  4  :  13,  14.  The  ointment  with  which 
our  Lord  was  anointed  in  Simon's  house  at 
Bethany  was  this  nerd,  and  was  very  costly. 
See  Mark  14  :  3-5 ;  John  12  :  3,  5.  The  oint- 
ment was  made  from  an  aromatic  herb  of 
the  valerian  family,  imported  from  an 
early  age  from  Arabia,  India,  and  the  Far 
East. 

Spirit.  John  3  :  8.  Both  in  Greek  and 
Hebrew  the  word  for  this  implies  a  "  blow- 
ing" or  "  breathing ;  "  its  primary  sense  is 
"wind."  In  2  Thess.  2:8  it  is  used  for 
"breath;"  in  Eccles.  8:8  for  the  vital 
principle  ;  while  in  other  places  it  denotes 
the  soul.  Angels,  both  good  and  bad,  souls 
without  bodies,  are  thus  designated.  Matt. 
14  :  26 ;  Luke  24  :  39.  The  inclination  is 
similarly  expressed ;  hence  we  have  a 
spirit  of  grace  and  of  supplication,  Zech.  12 : 
10,  a  spirit  of  infirmity,  Luke  13 :  11.  See 
Holy  Spirit. 

Stephen  (ste'vn),  a  chaplet,  crown.  One 
of  the  seven  and  the  first  martyr  of  the 
Christian  church.  Acts  6  :  5.  After  a  noble 
defence,  he  was  dragged  without  the  city, 
where,  while  prajdng,  he  was  stoned  to 
death.  Acts  6  :  11-15  ;  7 ;  8  :  2  ;  11 :  19 :  22 : 
20. 

Stoics  {sto'iks).  Acts  17  :  18.  A  sect  of 
Grecian  philosophers  who  derived  their 
name  from  stoa,  "  a  porch,"  because  Zeno, 
their  founder,  in  the  fourth  century  before 
Christ,  and  succeeding  leaders,  used  to 
teach  in  the  painted  porch  or  colonnade  at 
Athens.  In  their  physical  doctrines  they 
maintained  two  first  principles,  the  active 
and  the  passive ;  the  passive  was  matter ; 
the  active  was  God,  who  was  one,  though 
called  by  many  names.  Of  him  they  pan- 
theistically  believed  that  all  souls"  were 
emanations.  They  held  the  entire  inde- 
pendence of  man.    The  humbUng  doctrines 


STONING 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


SYKACUSE 


of  the  cross,  the  preaching  of  Jesus,  and 
the  resurrection  would,  it  is  clear,  be  dis- 
tasteful to  such  philosophers.  Acts  17  :  18. 
Epictetus  and  the  emperor  Marcus  Aure- 
hus  were  stoics. 

Stoning.  The  capital  punishment  gen- 
erally inhieted  on  notorious  criminals 
among  the  Hebrews  and  among  the  Egyp- 
tians. Ex.  8 :  26  ;  17  :  4  ;  Lev.  20 :  2-27  ;  24  : 
14-23  ;  Num.  14  :  10  ;  Josh.  7  :  25.  The  cul- 
prit was  led  out  of  the  city  to  the  place  of 
execution ;  and  the  witnesses  against  him 
were  required  to  begin  the  work  of  death. 
He  was  stoned  in  one  of  two  ways ;  either 
stones  were  thrown  upon  him  till  he  died ; 
or  he  was  thrown  headlong  down  a  steep 
place,  and  large  stones  rolled  upon  his 
body.    Acts  7  :  68,  59 ;  14 :  19  ;  Matt.  21 :  44. 

Stork,  the  jnous.  A  bird  of  passage, 
much  like  the  crane,  but  larger.  It  feeds 
on  insects,  snails,  frogs,  and  oflfal,  and  was 
reckoned  among  unclean  birds.  The  com- 
mon stork  {Clconia  alba)  stands  nearly  four 
feet  high,  and  is  white  except  the  extremi- 
ties of  the  wings,  which  are  black.  Its 
long  legs  enable  it  to  seek  its  food  in  the 
water  as  well  as  on  the  land,  and  its  bill  is 
so  formed  as  to  retain  its  sUppery  prey.  In 
Palestine  it  builds  its  nest  on  trees.  Ps. 
104:17.  "The  beauty  and  power  of  the 
stork's  wings  are  seized  on  as  an  illustra- 
tion by  Zechariah  :  '  The  wind  was  in  their 
wings,  for  they  had  wings  like  the  wings 
of  a  stork.'  Zech.  5 :  9.  The  black  pinions 
of  the  stork,  suddenly  expanded  from  their 
white  body,  have  a  striking  efi'ect,  having 
a  spread  of  nearly  seven  feet,  and  the  bird 
on  the  wing,  showing  its  long,  bright-red 
bill  and  steering  itself  by  its  long  red  legs, 
stretched  out  far  behind  its  tail,  is  a  noble 
sight.  The  stork  has  no  organs  of  voice, 
and  the  only  sound  it  emits  is  caused  by 
the  sharp  and  rapid  snapping  of  its  bill, 
like  the  rattle  of  castanets." — Tristram. 

S  II  c  c  o  til  (suk'koth),  booths.  1.  An  an- 
cient town  on  the  journey  of  Jacob  from 
Padan-aram.  Gen.  33  :  17."  Succoth  lay  be- 
tween Peniel,  near  the  ford  of  the  torrent 
Jabbok  and  Shechem.  Comp.  Gen.  32  :  30 
and  33  :  18.  In  accordance  with  this  is  the 
mention  of  Succoth  in  the  narrative  of 
Gideon's  pursuit  of  Zeba  and  Zalmunna. 
Judg.  8  :  5-17.  It  was  allotted  to  the  tribe 
of  Gad.  Josh.  13  :  27.  Succoth  is  named 
once  again  after  this— in  1  Kings  7  :  46  ;  2 
Chron.  4 :  17 — as  marking  the  spot  at  which 
the  brass  founderies  were  placed  for  cast- 
ing the  metal  work  of  the  temple.  2.  The 
first  camping-place  of  the  Israelites  when 
thev  left  Egvpt.  Ex.  12  :  37  ;  13 :  20 ;  Num. 
33:5,6. 

Swine.  The  flesh  of  the  hog  was  strictly 
forbidden  to  the  Hebrews.  Lev.  11 : 7  ; 
Beut.  14  :  8.  It  seems  to  have  been  offered 
in  idol-worship,  and  the  worshipper  no 
doubt  feasted  on  the  sacrifice.  Isa.  65 : 4 ; 
66 :  3,  17.  Wild  hogs  are  now  common  on 
the  Syrian  hills ;  perhaps  they  were  equally 
common  in  ancient  times.  Ps.  80  :  13.  And 
certainly  in  our  Lord's  days  the  breeding 
of  swine  was  common.  INIatt.  7:6;  8  :  30- 
32 ;  Luke  15  :  15,  16  ;  2  Pet.  2  :  22. 

Sycamine  Tree.  This  must  be  carefully 
200 


distinguished  from  the  sycamore.  It  is 
mentioned  but  once,  Luke  17  : 6 ;  referring 
to  the  black  mulberry  tree. 

Sycamore  Tree.  '  The  tree  so  called  in 
Scripture  is  not  the  sycamore  of  this  coun- 
try, which  is  a  species  of  maple.  It  rather 
belongs  to  the  genus  Ficus,  and  may  be  iden- 
tified with  the  Ficus  sycomoris,  or  sycamore 
fig.  It  is  common  both  in  Eg>-pt  and  Syria. 
It  is  a  tender  tree,  flourishing  in  sandy 
plains  and  warm  valleys,  but  is  not  hardy 
enough  for  the  mountain,  and  would  be 
killed  by  a  sharp  frost.  Ps.  78 :  47.  It  is 
lofty  and  wide-spreading,  often  planted  by 
the  wayside,  over  which  its  arms  extend, 
just  adapted  to  the  purpose  for  which 
Zaccheus  selected  it.  Luke  19  :  4.  The  syc- 
amore yields  several  crops  of  figs  in  the 
year,  which  grow  on  short  stems  along  the 
trunk  and  large  branches.  These  figs  are 
often  small  and  insipid.    Amos  7  :  14. 

Sycliar  (sy'kar),  drunken.  A  small  vil- 
lage near  Jacob's  well,  John  4  :  5.  formerly 
supposed  to  be  another  name  for  Shechem. 
But  this  is  now  known  to  be  a  mistake  ; 
Sychar  is  represented  by  the  modern  Aksar. 
The  well  of  Jacob  is  "near  Sychar;  it  is 
about  105  feet  deep,  7)^  feet  in  diameter, 
lined  with  stones.  It  is  partly  filled  with 
rubbish  now.  Jesus  rested  on  this  well. 
John  4 : 6. 

Synagogue.  A  place  of  public  wor- 
sliip  for  Jews.  Greek  term  means  a 
congregation.  Synagogues  were'  instituted 
after  the  exile  by  Ezra  and  Nehemiah.  See 
Acts  15:21  :  "  For  ^Moses  of  old  time  hath 
in  every  city  them  that  preach  him,  being 
read  in'the  synagogues  eveiy  sabbath  day." 
In  the  later  jperiods  of  Jewish  historj'  syn- 
agogues were  not  only  found  in  all  the 
chief  cities  and  lesser  towjis  in  Syria,  but 
in  the  principal  cities  of  the  Roman  em- 
pire. Mark  1 :  21 ;  Acts  6:9;  9  : 2-20 ;  Luke 
7 : 5.  The  estabhshment  of  these  syna- 
gogues providentially  prepared  the  way  for 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel.  As  anv  one 
who  happened  to  be  present  Avas  at  liberty 
to  read  and  expound  the  sacred  books.  Acts 
13  :  14,  15  ;  15  :  21,  this  privilege. aftbrded  our 
Lord  and  his  disciples  many  opportunities 
for  preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  in 
the  various  svnagogues.  Isa.  61 :  4 ;  Luke 
4 :  16,  28  ;  Matt.  13  :  M  ?  Mark  6:2;  John  18 : 
20 ;  Acts  13 : 5-44  ;  14  :  1 ;  17  : 2,  17  ;  18  : 4, 
26;  19:8.  The  "ruler  of  the  synagogue" 
granted  permission  to  read  or  speak.  Luke 
8  :  49  ;  13  :  14  ;  Mark  5  :  35  ;  Acts  18  : 8.  The 
"minister."  answering  nearly  to  the  mod- 
ern sexton  of  the  synagogue,  was  the  at- 
tendant who  handed  the  books  to  the 
reader,  and  opened  and  closed  the  syna- 
gogue. Luke  4:  20.  The  "elders"  of  the 
synagogue  preserved  order  in  the  assembly, 
Luke  7:3;  Mark  5  :  22 ;  Acts  13  :  15,  and  ap- 
pear also  to  have  constituted  the  lowest  tri- 
bunal, which  took  cognizance  mainly  of  re- 
hgious  matters,  and  sometimes  inflicted  the 
punishment.  Matt.  10  :  17 ;  23  :  34  ;  Mark  13  : 
9 ;  Luke  12  :  11 ;  21 :  12 ;  John  16 : 2 ;  Acts  22 : 
19 ;  26  :  11.  Ruins  of  synagogues,  in  several 
places  in  Palestine,  have  been  found. 

Syracuse  (syr'a-knse).  The  celebrated 
city  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Sicily.     Paul 


SYRIA 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


TABERNACLE 


arrived  there  in  an  Alexandrian  ship  from 
Melita,  on  his  voyage  to  Rome.  Actb  28 :  12. 
TJie  site  of  Syracuse  rendered  it  a  conven- 
ient place  for  the  African  com-ships  to 
touch  at,  for  the  harbor  was  an  excellent 
one,  and  the  fountain  Aretliusa  in  the 
island  furnished  an  unfailing  supply  of 
excellent  water. 

Syria  {syr'i-ali);  Hebrew,  Aram.  Syria 
proper  was  bounded  by  Amanus  and  Taurus 
on  the  north,  by  the  Euphrates  and  the  Ara- 
bian desert  on  "the  east,  by  Palestine  on  the 
south,  by  the  Mediterranean  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Orontes,  and  then  by  Phoeni- 
cia on  the  west.  This  tract  is  about  300 
miles  long  from  north  to  south,  and  from 
50  to  150  miles  broad,  between  the  Libanus 
and  the  Anti-Libanus  ranges.  Of  the  va- 
rious mountain  ranges  of  Syria,  Lebanon 
possesses  the  greatest  interest!  The  princi- 
pal rivers  of  Syria  are  the  Litany  and  the 
Orontes.  Among  tlie  principal  cities  are  Da- 
mascus, Antioch,  Hainath,  Gebal,  Beirut, 
Tadmor  or  Palmyra,  Heliopolis  or  Baalbec, 
and  Aleppo.  Baalbec  is  one  of  the  most 
wonderful  ruins  in  Syria ;  Damascus  is  the 
oldest  and  largest  city.  Syria  is  now  one  of 
the  divisions  of  Asiatic  Turkey,  and  con- 
tains about  60,000  square  miles.  The  popu- 
lation is  estimated  at  about  2,000,000— Mo- 
hammedans, Jews,  and  Christians  of  various 
churches.  The  language  usually  spoken  is 
the  Arabic. 


Taanach  {td'a-7iak),  sandy  soil.  A  royal 
Canaanitish  city  in  Issacha'r,  but  assigned 
to  Manasseh,  Josh.  12  :21 ;  17  :  11 ;  Judg.  1 : 
27 ;  5 :  19 ;  1  Kings  4  :  12,  also  written  "  Ta- 
nach."  Josh.  21 :  25,  A.  V.  This  city  is  per- 
haps the  same  as  "  Aner."  1  Chron.  6  :  70. 
It  is  now  called  Taanuk,  with  ruins  about 
four  miles  southeast  of  Megiddo,  on  the 
western  side  of  the  plain  of  Esdraelon. 

Tabering.  Nah.  2 :  7.  An  old  English 
word,  meaning  "to  beat  as  a  taber"  or 
"  tabret,"  a  small  drum  beaten  with  one 
stick. 

Tabernacle,  Ex.  25 :  9,  literally  means 
"  a  tent."  The  sanctuary  where  in  the  ear- 
lier times  the  most  sacred  rites  of  the  He- 
brew religion  were  performed.  The  com- 
mand to  erect  a  tabernacle  is  recorded  in 
Ex.  25  : 8 ;  and  in  that  place,  and  in  Ex.  29  : 
42,  43,  45,  the  special  purpose  is  declared 
for  which  it  was  to  be  made.  And  so  we 
find  the  various  names  of  it,  the  "tent," 
Ex.  26:11,  12;  the  "tabernacle."  dwelUng 
or  habitation,  Ex.  26:13;  the  "tent  of 
meeting,"  Ex.  29  :  43,  for  so  the  words  should 
be  rendered  ;  the  "  tent  of  the  testimony  "  or 
"  tabernacle  of  witness,"  Num.  9  :  15 ;  17  : 7  ; 
18 :  2 ;  the  "  house  of  the  Lord,"  Deut.  23 : 
18  ;  Josh.  9  :  23 ;  Judg.  18 :  31 ;  all  these  ap- 
pelations  pointing  to  the  covenant-purpose 
of  God.  The  command  to  make  it  began 
by  inviting  the  people  to  contribute  suita- 
ble materials.  They  were  to  be  offered  with 
a  willing  heart.  These  materials  are  de- 
scribed in  Ex.  25 : 3-7.  And  the  tabernacle 
was  to  be  built  according  to  the  pattern 
given  of  God.    It  was  as  to  its  general  plan 


like  an  ordinary  tent,  which  is  usually  di- 
vided into  two  compartments,  the  inner 
lighted  by  a  lamp  and  closed  against 
strangers.  Such  tents  are  longer  than  they 
are  broad.  And  so  the  tabernacle  was  an 
oblong  square  or  rectangle,  30  cubits  (4:> 
feet  or  perhaps  50  feet)  long,  ten  cubits  in 
breadth  and  in  height.  The  frame-work  on 
these  sides  was  perpendicular  boards  of 
shittiin-wood,  that  is,  acacia,  overlaid  with 
gold,  kept  together  by  means  of  transverse 
bars  passing  through  golden  rings,  and 
each  with  two  tenons,  titting  into  silver 
sockets,  on  which  they  stood.  There  were 
four  coverings.  The  first  was  ten  curtains  of 
byssiis,  or  line  linen,  blue,  purple,  and  scar- 
let, with  cherubim  embroidered  on  them, 
coupled  together  by  loops  and  gold  hooks. 
The  second  covering  was  of  goats'  hair  in 
eleven  curtains.  The  third  covering  was  of 
rams'  skins  dyed  red,  like  our  morocco 
leather ;  and  the  fourth  of  "  badgers'  skins," 
more  probably  a  kind  of  seal  skin.  These 
were  to  protect  the  tabernacle  from  the 
weather.  The  inner  apartment  or  most 
holy  place  was  a  cube  of  ten  cubits,  the 
outer  apartment  20  cubits  in  length  and  ten 
in  breadth.  They  were  separated  by  a  veil 
of  the  same  kind  as  the  innermost  cover- 
ing, suspended  on  four  gilded  acacia  pillars 
reared  upon  silver  sockets.  The  east  end  or 
entrance  of  the  tabernacle  had  also  a 
large  curtain  suspended  from  live  gilded  aca- 
cia pillars  set  in  sockets  of  brass  or  copper. 
The  Furniture.— In  ihe  most  holy  place, 
which  the  high  priest  alone  entered, 
was  the  ark  of  the  covenant ;  in  the  holy 
place,  where  the  priests  ministered— to  the 
north  the  table  of  shew-bread,  to  the  south 
the  golden  candlestick,  in  the  centre  the 
altar  of  incense.  Round  about  the  taber- 
nacle was  an  open  court  into  which  the 
people  were  admitted,  100  cubits  in  length 
and  50  broad.  It  was  formed  by  columns,  20 
on  each  side,  "10  at  each  end,  raised  on 
brazen  or  copper  sockets.  Hangings  fast- 
ened to  the  pillars  fonned  three  sides  and 
part  of  the  fourth  :  on  the  east  the  breadth 
of  four  pillars  was  reserved  for  a  central 
entrance,  where  was  an  embroidered  cur- 
tain suspended  from  the  four  pillars.  Im- 
mediately opposite  the  entrance  Avas  the 
great  altar  of  burnt  offering ;  and  between 
that  and  the  door  of  the  tabernacle  was  the 
laver.  Ex.,  chaps.  26,  27,  38,  40.  There  are 
some  parts  of  the  description  of  the  pillars 
and  hangings  of  the  court  which  it  is  not 
easy  to  understand.  The  tabernacle  was 
completed  in  about  nine  months;  and  as 
the  people  offered  most  liberally,  Ex.  36 : 5, 
it  was  a  costly  structure  ;  the  value  of  the 
materials  being  estimated  at  $1,000,000.  It 
was  erected  on  the  first  day  of  the  first 
montli  of  the  second  year  after  leaving 
Egypt.  It  was  carried  by  the  Israehtes  into 
Canaan,  and  there  set  up,  possibly  first  at 
Gilgal,  then,  when  the  land  was  subdued, 
at  Shiloh,  Josh.  18  : 1,  and  also  at  Bethel, 
perhaps  afterwards  at  Nob,  and  then  at 
Gibeon.  1  Chron.  16  :  39  ;  21 :  29.  It  was  re- 
moved, when  the  temple  was  built,  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  possibly  deposited  in  the  temple. 
1  Kings  8:4;  2  Chron.  5 ;  5.  For  the  regula 
201 


TABERNACLES 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


TARSHISH 


tions  about  its  removal  see  Num.  4.  David 
seems  to  have  constructed  a  second  taber- 
nacle to  receive  the  ark  when  it  was 
brought  to  Jerusalem.  2  Sam.  6  :  17 ;  1 
Chron.  15  : 1.  Doubtless  the  first  one  had  per- 
ished or  worn  out.    See  Bissell,  Bib.  Antiq. 

Tabernacles,  Feast  of.  Num.  29  :  12- 
40.  One  of  the  three  great  annual  festivals 
which  all  the  Hebrews  were  to  keep.  Dur- 
ing the  seven  days  of  its  celebration  the 
people  dwelt  in  booths  made  of  the  branch- 
es and  leaves  of  trees,  in  commemoration 
of  the  40  years'  wandenng  in  the  wilder- 
ness. Lev.  2;^  :  31-44.  As  the  season  of 
thanksgiving  for  the  fruits  of  the  earth,  it 
is  also  called  the  "Feast  of  Ingathering." 
Ex.  23 :  16 ;  34  :  22.  It  commenced  on  the 
fifteenth  day  of  Tisri,  October :  the  first  day 
and  the  eighth  dav  were  distinguished  as 
Sabbaths.  Num.  29  :  12-40 ;  Deut.  16  :  13-15 ; 
Zech.  14  :  16-19.  In  every  seventh  year 
during  this  festival,  the  law  of  Moses'was 
read  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  people. 
Deut.  31:10-13;  Neh.  8:14-18.  In  later 
times,  the  priests  went  every  morning 
during  the  festival,  and  drew  water  from 
the  fountain  of  Siloam,  and  poured  it  out 
to  the  southwest  of  the  altar,  the  Levites, 
in  the  meanwhile,  playing  on  instraments 
of  music,  and  singing  the  Psalms  113-118. 
This  ceremony  is  said  to  have  been  founded 
on  Isa.  12 :  3 ;  and  was  probably  a  memorial 
of  the  abundant  supply  of  water  which  God 
afforded  to  the  Hebrews  during  their  wan- 
derings in  the  wilderness.    John  7  : 2-39. 

Tabitha  (tab'i-tha).  gazelle.  Acts  9  :  36^0. 
A  female  disciple  at  Joppa,  called  also 
Dorcas,  restored  to  life  in  answer  to  Peter's 
prayer. 

Tabor  {(d'bor),  a  mouvd :  or  Mount  Ta- 
bor. Judg.  4  :  6.  A  single  limestone  moun- 
tain in  central  Palestine.  It  rises  abruptly 
from  the  northeastern  arm  of  the  plain  of  Es- 
draelon,  and  stands  entirely  isolated  except 
on  the  west,  where  a  narro"w*ridge  connects 
it  with  the  hills  of  Naza  reth.  It  is  six  miles 
east  of  Nazareth,  and  about  50  miles  north 
of  Jerusalem.  As  seen  from  a  distance,  it 
presents  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful  flat- 
tened cone,  being  symmetrical  in  its  pro- 
portions, and  rounded  off  like  a  hemi- 
sphere or  the  segment  of  a  circle.  Tabor 
makes  a  prominent  figure  in  the  Old,  but  is 
not  named  in  the  New  Testament.  It  was 
the  boundarv  between  Issachar  and  Zebxi- 
lun.  Josh.  19  :  12,  22.  Barak,  at  the  com- 
mand of  Deborah,  assembled  his  forces  on 
Tabor,  and  descended  thence,  with  "ten 
thousand  men  after  him,"  into  the  plain, 
and  conquered  Sisera  on  the  banks  of  the 
Kishon.  Judg.  4:6-15.  The  brothers  of  Gid- 
eon, each  of  whom  "resembled  the  chil- 
dren of  a  king,"  were  murdered  here  by 
Zebah  and  Zalmunna.  Judg.  8  :  18,  19'. 
There  are  the  ruins  of  a  fortress  on  the 
summit  of  Tabor. 

T  a  d  m  o  r  {tdd'mor).  ■  Heb.  Tamar, 
palms.  A  city  in  the  wilderness,  built  by 
Solomon.  1  Kings  9  :  18,  R.  Y.,  "  Tamar ; " 
2  Chron.  8  :  4.  There  is  no  other  Scripture 
mention  of  this  city.  It  has  usually  been 
identified  with  the  famous  city  of  Palmyra. 
Palmyra  occupied  the  most  favorable  posi- 
202 


tion  on  the  great  caravan  route  between  the 
rich  cities  of  the  East  and  the  ports  of  the 
Mediterranean.  Palmyra  was  mentioned 
by  PUny,  Josephus,  Jerome,  and  other 
early  writers.  The  ruins  extend  over  a 
plain  about  three  or  four  miles  in  circuit. 

Tahpanbes  [tdh'pan-hez).  A  city  on  the 
Tanitic  branch  of  the  Nile,  in  lower  Egypt, 
and  called  Tahapanes  and  Tehaphnehes, 
Ezek.  30 :  18  ;  possibly  the  Hanes  of  Isa.  30 : 

4  ;  Jer.  2  :  16 ;  43  :  7,  8,  9 ;  44  : 1 ;  46  :  14.  Jere- 
miah, after  the  murder  of  Gedaliah,  was 
taken  to  this  place,  and  Pharaoh  had  a 
palace  built  or  restored  there,  made  of 
bricks  in  a  brick-kiln.  The  children  of 
Noph  (Memphis)  and  of  Tahpanhes  are 
used  to  represent  the  entire  body  of  the 
Egyptians.  Jer.  2 :  16.  It  is  identical  with 
the  Daphne  of  the  Greeks.  The  site  of 
Tahpanhes  was  discovered  by  M.  Naville, 
and  the  palace  of  Psammetichus  I.  found. 

Talent.  See  Measures  and  "Weights. 
Ex.  25 :  39 :  37  :  24  ;  2  Sam.  12  :  :30 ;  Matt.  25 : 
25.  A  Jewish  talent  in  weight  contained 
about  3000  shekels,  and  is  estimated  to 
equal  125  pounds  Troy  measure.  Reckon- 
ing silver  at  about  60  cents  an  ounce,  a 
talent  of  silver  would  then  be  equal  to 
about  $1000.  A  talent  of  gold  by  the  Oxford 
tables  is  estimated  equal  to  $28,280,  and 
about  ^27,300  by  Bagster's  Bible  tables. 
An  Attic  talent  was  equal  to  about  1960. 
This  may  be  alluded  to  in  Matt.  18 :  24  ;  25 : 
15.  Tale'nts  of  silver,  by  weight,  are  fre- 
quentlv  mentioned  in  the  Old  Testament. 
Ex.  38":  27:  1  Kings  20  :  39;  2  Kings  5 :  22  ; 
15  :  19 ;  1  Chron.  29  : 7.  Talents  of  gold  are 
also  noticed.  Ex.  25 :  39  ;  2  Chron.  36  :  3  ; 
1  Chron.  29 :  7.   Also  a  talent  of  lead.   Zech. 

5  :  7.    See  Money. 

Tappuah  {tup'pu-ah  or  tap-pn'ah),  apple 
region.  1.  A  town  in  the  plain  country  of 
Judah.  Josh.  15  :  34.  2.  A  city  on  the  bor- 
der of  Ephraim  and  Manasseh ;  the  city 
belonged  to  Ephraim,  the  land  or  district 
named  from  it  to  Manasseh.  Josh.  16 :  8 ; 
17  :  8.  This  was  no  doubt  identical  with 
En-tappuah.  It  is  not  certain  which  of 
these  two  places  is  intended  in  Josh.  12  :17. 

Tares.  Bearded  darnel  (Lolium  temulen- 
tiiin),  a  grass  sometimes  found  in  our  own 
grain-fields,  but  very  common  in  Eastern 
countries.  Matt.  13*:  25.  Until  the  head 
appears  its  resemblance  to  wheat  is  very 
close.  Travellers  describe  the  process  of 
pulling  up  this  grass  and  separating  it  from 
the  genuine  grain,  and  their  descriptions 
perfectly  accord  with  the  language  of  our 
Saviour  in  the  parable. 

Tarshish  (tdr'shish),  a  breakivg.  1  Kings 
10  :  22 ;  22  :  48.  1.  An  ancient  commercial 
city  whose  situation  is  not  certainly  deter- 
mined. Some  place  it  not  far  from  the 
Straits  of  Gibraltar.  Gen.  10 :  4  ;  Ps.  72  :  10, 
The  region  of  Tarshish,  also  written  Thar- 
shish.  1  Kings  10  :  22  ;  22  :  48,  is  possibly 
the  Tartessns  of  the  Greeks  and  Romans. 
The  Hebrews  and  the  Phoenicians  imported 
silver,  iron,  tin,  lead,  and  other  articles  of 
merchandise  from  this  place  of  trade.  Isa. 
23:1,  6,  10;  06:19;  Jer.  10:9;  Ezek.  27: 
12,  25  ;  38 :  13.  "  Ships  of  Tarshish  "  desig- 
nated ships  employed  by  the  Tynans  in 


TAKSUS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


TEMPLE 


voj^ages  to  and  from  Tarshish,  Isa.  60  :  9 ; 
Jonah  1:3;  4:2;  possiblv  all  large  mer- 
cbant  ships.    Isa.  2  :  16  ;  Ps.  48  :  7. 

Tarsus  (tdr'sus).  A  town  of  CiUcia,  the 
birthplace  of  the  apostle  Paul.  Acts  9  :  11 ; 
21:39;  22:3.  Augustus  made  it  a  "free 
city."  It  was  renowned  as  a  place  of  edu- 
cation under  the  early  Roman  emperors. 
Strabo  compares  it  in  this  respect  to  Athens 
and  Alexandria.  Tarsus  also  was  a  place 
of  much  commerce.  It  was  situated  in  a 
wild  and  fertile  plain  on  the  banks  of  the 
Cydnus.  No  ruins  of  any  importance  re- 
main. 

Taverns,  the  Tliree.  A  place  where 
some  of  the  "  brethren  "  came  to  meet  Paul 
on  his  journey  to  Rome,  and  by  their  com- 
ing the  apostle  took  fresh  courage.  Acts 
28 :  13-15.  It  was  on  the  Appian  \yay,  33 
miles  southeast  from  Rome,  and  ten  roiles 
from  Appii  Forum. 

Tax,  Taxing,  Taxation.  Luke  2  : 1,  2, 
R.  V.  "  enroll,  enrollment."  1  Kings  10  :  28, 
29.  The  Israehtes  were  expected  to  pay, 
in  their  earlier  history,  sacred  offerings 
which  were  connected  with  their  religious 
services.  From  them  the  priests  and  Le- 
vites,  and  in  a  measure  the  poor,  were  to 
be  maintained.  To  these  must  be  added 
the  capitation  tax  to  be  paid  when  a  cen- 
sus of  the  people  was  taken.  Ex.  30  :  11- 
16.  This,  however,  was  but  occasional — 
yet  see  perhaps  some  traces  of  it  in  2  Kings 
12  :  4  ;  2  Chron.  21 :  6-9 ;  but  it  formed  the 
basis  of  the  annual  impost  agreed  to  after 
the  captivity,  Neh.  10  :  32, 153,  then  the  third 
of  a  shekel,  but  afterwards  a  half-shekel. 
Matt.  17  :  24,  2/,  levied  on  all  Jews  where- 
soever they  resided.  On  the  establishment 
of  kingly 'government  additional  burdens 
were  necessarily  laid  upon  the  nation— as 
for  Solomon's  great  works,  1  Kings  12  :  4, 
and  when  foreign  enemies  required  large 
sums  as  fines  or  annual  tribute.  2  Kings 
15  :  19,  20 ;  17  :  4 ;  23  :  3::5-35.  Under  the 
Persian  government,  after  the  return  from 
Babylon,  there  was  a  regular  system  of 
taxation,  to  wliich  doubtless  the  provinces 
of  the  empire  generally  were  subjected. 
Three  branches  are  enumerated,  from 
which,  however,  the  priests  and  sacred 
classes  were  specially  exempted,  "toll, 
tribute,  and  custom,"  Ezra  4  :  13  ;  7  :  24, 
probably  implying  direct  money  payments, 
excise,  and  tolls  by  traveller's'  at  bridges, 
fords,  etc.  The  Jews  had  also  to  defray 
the  charges  of  the  governor  by  supplying 
his  table,  and  by  a  money  payinent.  'Tliis 
Nehemiah  when  in  office  did  not  exact. 
Neh.  5 :  14,  15.  The  Egyptian  and  Syrian 
kings  imposed  yet  more  oppressive  faxes. 
In  later  times  it 'appears  that,  though  relief 
was  sometimes  granted,  direct  tribute,  du- 
ties on  salt,  crown  taxes,  and  a  certain  pro- 
portion of  the  produce  of  fruit  trees,  and 
corn  land,  with  a  tax  on  cattle  were  ordi- 
narily required.  1  Mace.  10  :  29-31 ;  11  :  34, 
35 ;  13  :  39.  When  Judea  was  made  a  Roman 
province  the  taxes  were  systematically 
fanned,  and  pubhcans  were  stationed 
through  the  country.  There  were  the 
duties  to  be  paid  at  harbors,  and  the  gates 
of  cities,  a  poll-tax,  and  perhaps  a  kind  of 


property  tax.  Mark  12:14,15;  Rom.  13: 
6,  7.  These  imposts  were  regarded  with 
great  jealousy,  as  pmd  to  a  foreign  power. 
There  was  also  a  house  tax  in  Jerusalem, 
remitted  by  Agrippa  I.  Josephus'  Ant.  19  : 
6,  3.  For  the  taxing  or  registration  in  order 
to  taxation,  said  to  be  conducted  by  Oyre- 
nius,  Luke  2  :  1,  2,  see  Cyrenius.  There 
was  another  at  a  later  period.    Acts  5 :  37. 

Tekoa  {te-ko'ah),  a  fixing  or  pitching  of 
tents.  A  fortified  city,  twelve  miles  south 
by  east  from  Jerusalem,  1  Chron.  2  :  24  ; 
Jer.  6:1;  Amos  1:1;  also  written  "  Te- 
koah."  2  Sam.  14  :  2,  4,  9,  A.  V.  The  in- 
habitants were  called  "Tekoites."  Neh.  3: 
5.  It  had  a  desert  lying  east  of  it,  toward 
the  Dead  Sea.  2  Chron.  20 :  20.  Tekoa, 
now  called  Teku'a,  is  situated  on  a  hill. 

Tel-abib  (tSl-ci'bib),  corn  hill.  A  place  in 
Babylonia  where  some  of  the  Jewish  cap- 
tives were  stationed.  It  was  by  the  river 
of  Chebar ;  but  its  precise  site  is  doubtful. 
Ezek.  3  :  15. 

Teman  {te'man),  south  desert.  A  coun- 
try named  from  the  oldest  son  of  Eliphaz, 
the  son  of  Esau.  Gen.  36  :  11.  These  peo- 
ple were  called  Temani,  or  Teraanites,  and 
seem  to  have  been  noted  for  wisdom.  Jer. 
49  :  7  ;  Obad.  9.  They  are  especially  men- 
tioned in  the  prediction  against  Edom. 
Jer.  49  : 7  ;  Ezek.  25 :  13  ;  Amosl :  12  ;  Obad. 
9  ;  Hab.  3  :  3.  Their  country  seems  to  have 
been  the  southeastern  part  of  Edom. 

Temple.  A  place  or  building  dedicated 
to  reUgious  worship.  "  God  .  .  .  dwelleth 
not  in  temples  made  with  hands."  Acts  17  : 
24.  The  word  temple  occurs  in  the  A.  V. 
about  200  times,  generally  referring  to  the 
one  at  Jerusalem.  But  the  temple  at  Baby- 
lon is  alluded  to,  2  Chron.  36  :  7 ;  Ezra  5 : 
14 ;  the  temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus,  Acts 
19  :  27 ;  the  temple  of  God,  2  Cor.  6 :  16, 
meaning  the  saints,  and  the  temple  in  the 
Holy  City— the  New  Jerusalem.  Rev.  21  : 
22.  The  word  specially  designated  the 
sanctuary  of  Jehovah  at  Jerusalem.  There 
were  three  successive  temples  there;  1. 
Solomon's ;  2.  Zerubbabel's,  known  as  the 
Second  temple  ;  3.  Herod's  temple. 

1.  Solomon's  Temple,  was  built  on  Mount 
Moriah,  in  the  eastern  part  of  Jerusalem, 
by  Solomon,  the  king,  as  conceived  and 
planned  by  his  father  David.  1  Chron.  17 : 
1.  David  gathered  the  materials  and  funds 
to  build  it—"  an  hundred  thousand  talents 
of  gold,  and  a  thousand  thousand  talents 
of  silver :  and  of  brass  and  iron  without 
weight."  1  Chron.  22  :  14.  The  silver  and 
gold  would  be  equal  to  from  §2,000,000  to 
^,000,000.  Besides  gold  and  silver,  David 
collected  immense  quantities  of  "brass" 
(bronze  or  copper),  iron,  stone,  timber,  etc., 
and  he  secured  skilful  mechanics  and  artif- 
icers for  every  branch  of  the  work.  1 
Chron.  22  ;  29  :  4,  7.  He  also  furnished  the 
design,  plan,  and  location  of  the  building; 
in  ail  which  he  was  divinelv  instructed.  1 
Chron.  21 ;  22 ;  28  :  11-19.  There  were  183,- 
600  Jews  and  strangers  emploved  on  it — 
of  Jews  30,000,  by  rotation  10,000  a  montli ; 
of  Canaanites,  153,600.  of  whom  70,000  were 
"  bearers  of  burdens,"  80,000  hewers  of 
wood  and  stone,  and  3600  overseers.  The 
203 


TEMPLE 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


TEMPLE 


parts  were  all  prepared  at  a  distance  from  j 
the  site  of  the  building,  and  when  they  j 
were  brought  together  the  whole  structure  ' 
\^■as  erected  without  the  sound  of  hammer,  1 
axe,  or  any  tool  of  iron.  1  Kings  (j :  7.  It  ] 
required  seven  and  one-half  years  to  com-  [ 
plete  it  in  all  its  splendor,  the  glorj-  of  Je-  | 
rusalem,  and  the  most  magnificent  edifice  i 
in  the  world,  b.  c.  1005.  Like  the  taberna- 
cle, it  had  its  front  toward  the  east.  All 
the  arrangements  of  the  temple  were  iden- 
tical with  those  of  the  tabernacle,  and  the 
dimensions  of  every  part  exactly  double 
those  of  the  previous  structure.  It  was  70 
cubits  long  and  20  wide,  and  had  in  front 
a  porch  more  than  200  feet  high.  All 
around  the  main  structure  there  were  at- 
tached to  the  north  and  south  sides  and  at 
the  west  end  certain  buildings  called  side 
chambers,  1  Kings  6 :  10,  three  stories  in 
height,  which  were  much  more  extensive 
than  the  temple  itself.  The  material  was 
white  stone  :  the  woodwork  of  cedar,  over- 
laid with  fine  gold  ;  the  floor  of  cedar,  with 
planks  of  fir.  1  Kings  6  :  15.  The  holy 
of  holies  was  a  small  square  chamber,  ab- 
solutelv  dark  except  by  the  hght  received 
through  the  entrance.  In  it  were  two  huge 
golden  figures,  standing  upright  on  their 
feet,  on  each  side  of  the  ark,  which  rested 
upon  a  protuberance  of  rough  rock.  Above 
the  ark  the  wings  of  these  cherubim  met. 
The  walls  of  the  chambers  which  ran 
round  the  rest  of  the  building  were  not  al- 
lowed to  lean  against  the  outer  walls  of 
this  sanctuary.  The  quarries  of  Solomon 
have  been  discovered  under  the  present 
city  of  Jerusalem,  near  the  Damascus  gate. 
Thev  are  very  extensive.  The  temple  of 
Solomon  stood  424  yeai-s ;  at  times  was  al- 
lowed to  fall  into  decay ;  was  plundered 
by  Shishak,  king  of  Egypt,  during  the 
reign  of  Rehoboam.  1  Kings  14 -.25,26.  After 
this  it  was  frequently  profaned  and  pil- 
laged ;  was  repaired  bv  Joash,  2  Kings  12  : 
5-14,  and  by  Josiah,  2  Chron.  29  :  3-9.  Its 
destruction  was  prophesied  by  Jeremiah, 
Jer.  7  :  2, 14,  and  it  was  at  last  broken  down 
and  destroyed  by  the  king  of  Babylon,  and 
the  nation  itself  carried  into  captivity.  2 
Kings  25  :  8,  9.  13-17 ;  2  Chron.  36 :  18,  19, 
B.  c.  586. 

2.  The  Temple  oj  Zerubbabel— In  b.  c.  536 
CjTUs  the  Persian  king  of  Babylon  gave 
permission  to  the  Jews  to  return.  Zerub- 
babel, as  Jewish  governor,  and  Joshua,  the 
high  priest,  superintended  the  people  in 
rebuilding  the  temple.  Cyrus  permitted 
and  encouraged  them  to  do  this  w^ork. 
Ezra  3  :  8.  Owing  to  the  opposition  of  their 
enemies,  it  was  not,  however,  completed 
for  20  years,  b.  c.  515.  The  storj-  of  this 
long  struggle  and  trouble  is  told  in  the  book 
of  Ezra.  This  second  temple,  though  infe- 
rior in  many  respects  to  the  first— having 
no  ark,  no  niercy-seat,  no  visible  revelation 
of  the  divine  glory,  no  sacred  fire,  no  Urim 
and  Thummim,  and  no  spirit  of  prophecy, 
Ezra  3  :  12,  13— still  was  in  breadth  and 
height,  in  almost  every  dimension,  one- 
third  larger  than  Solomon's. 

3.  Temple  of  Herod.— The  temple  of  Ze- 
rubbabel after  nearly  500  years  had  suifered 


much  from  wars,  age,  and  decay,  when 
Herod  the  Great,  to  secure  the  favor  of  the 
Jews,  undertook  to  rebuild  it.  He  began 
the  work  20  years  before  the  birth  of  Christ 
and  completed'  the  main  building  in  one 
year  and  a  half,  and  the  adjoining  build- 
ings in  eight  years.  But  the  work  was  not 
entirely  ended  till  a.  r>.  G4,  under  Herod 
Agrippa  II.    So  the  statement  in  John  2 : 

20  is  correct.  The  building  stood  upon 
jlount  Moriah,  in  an  area  which  was  TiUO 
cubits  square.  Along  the  ramparts  of  the 
temple  hill  ran  double  cloisters  or  arcades, 
and  there  the  money  changers  sat.    Matt. 

21  :  12.  There  were  several  courts  about 
the  temple  which  were  upon  different  lev- 
els. The  outer  court,  or  court  of  the  Gen- 
tiles, came  first ;  then  the  court  of  the  wo- 
men, the  court  of  Israel,  the  court  of  the 
priests,  and  then  the  temple  itself.  Be- 
tween the  first  two  came  the  "  soreg  "  ("  in- 
terwoven "),  or  "  middle  wall  of  partition." 
Eph.  2 :  14.  It  had  13  openings ;  upon  it, 
at  inter\'als,  were  stones  with  Greek  in- 
scriptions, threatening  death  to  the  Gen- 
tile who  entered.  A  stone  thus  inscribed 
was  discovered  lately  by  an  explorer  in 
Palestine.  The  charge'  that  Paul  had 
brought  such  a  Greek  into  the  enclosure 
aroused  the  Jerasalem  mob.  Acts  21:  28. 
The  court  of  Israel,  10  cubits  by  135,  was 
15  steps  higher  up,  and  upon  them  the  15 
Songs  of  Degrees— Ps.  120-134,  inclusive— 
were  sung.  The  musical  instruments  were 
kept  there.  It  was  merely  a  platform,  and 
had  no  cloisters  or  columns.  Only  men 
especially  purified  could  enter  it.  The 
court  of 'the  iiriests,  or  sanctuary,  135  by 
176  cubits,  was  2%  cubits  higher'than  the 
court  of  Israel,  the  wall  being  1  cubit  high, 
with  3  steps  above  it.  On  the  wall  there 
was  a  platform  from  which  the  priests 
bles.sed  the  people.  The  entrance  of  the 
temple  was  20  cubits  wide  and  40  high. 
Over  it  hung  the  golden  vine,  supported, 
probably,  by  nails.  The  temple  was  of  two 
stories  ;  'in  the  lower  there  were  38  cham- 
bers in  three  tiers;  in  the  upper,  none. 
The  holy  house  was  entered  from  the 
porch  by  a  gate  20  cubits  high  and  10 
broad,  with  double  doors,  opening  out  and 
in ;  before  it  hung  a  veil  of  equal  width 
with  the  doors.  Before  the  entrance  to  the 
holv  of  hohes  hung  two  veils  or  two  cur- 
tains, 1  cubit  apart,  and,  inasmuch  as  the 
opening  of  the  outer  curtain  was  upon  the 
north,  while  the  inner  was  on  the  south, 
no  glimpse  of  the  holy  of  holies  could  be 
obtained  bv  any  one  but  the  high  priest. 
The  purification  of  Mary,  Luke  2 :  22,  must 
have  been  near  the  gate  Nicanor.  The 
Child  Jesus  was  found  amid  the  doctors  of 
the  law  in  the  temple  courts.  Luke  2  :  if,. 
The  Beautiful  Gate,  Acts  3  :  2,  was  one  of 
the  finest  entrances  to  the  temple.  The 
castle  of  Antonia.  from  which,  by  a  secret 
passageway,  the  Roman  soldier>'  could  be 
led  down'  into  the  temple  area  to  pre- 
serve order- as  notablv  to  rescue  Paul,  Acts 
21  :  31,  32— w^as  situated  upon  the  north- 
western corner  of  the  outer  cloister,  and 
had  four  towers  with  a  large  interior  space. 
Jesus  foretold  the  destruction  of  the  third 


TEN  COMMANDMENTS 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


THESSALONIANS 


temple:  "There  shall  not  be  left  here  one 
stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be 
thrown  down."  Matt.  24 :  2  ;  Mark  13  :  2  ; 
Luke  21 :  6.  This  prophecy  was  made  about 
30  A.  D.,  and  was  fultilled  about  40  years 
afterward,  by  the  Roman  soldiers,  wlio  set 
the  temple  on  fire  and  destroyed  it  in  70 
A.  D.,  although  the  Roman  commander  had 
given  strict  orders  to  have  it  preserved. 
About  three  centuries  later,  the  emperor 
Julian  attempted  to  rebuild  it,  but  was  pre- 
vented, for  the  terrific  explosions  that  took 
place,  as  the  workmen  dug  down  for  the 
foundations,  caused  them  to  throw  away 
their  implements,  and  the  w^ork  was  aban- 
doned. See  Milman's  Hist.  Christianity,  iii. 
27. 

Up  to  quite  recent  times  the  Haram— 
as  the  enclosure  containing  the  site  of  the 
temple  is  called,  and  where  the  mosques 
of  Omar  and  el-Aksar  now  stand— was 
closed  to  all  non-Mohanmiedans ;  but  the 
pressure  brought  to  bear  after  the  Crimean 
war,  1856,  was  too  great,  and  now  travellers 
find  little  difficulty  in  gaining  admittance. 

The  temple  was  a  type  of  the  Christian, 
for  every  Christian  is  a  temple  of  the  Holv 
Ghost.  1  Cor.  3  :  16,  17  ;  6  :  19 ;  2  Cor.  6  :  l(i ; 
1  Pet.  2  :  5.  The  temple  seen  by  Ezekiel  in 
vision  is  very  fully  described,  and  is  sup- 
posed by  some  to  "be  a  figure  of  the  actual 
temple.    See  Ezek.  40  to  47. 

Ten  Comuiandinents,  the.  Dent.  4  : 
13.  Or,  more  exactly,  the  Ten  AVords. 
Ex.  34  :  2S,  margin  ;  Deut.  10  :  4,  margin. 
They  were  proclaimed  from  Sinai,  amid 
mighty  thuuderings  and  lightnings,  Ex. 
20 : 1-22,  and  were  graven  on  tablets  of 
stone  by  the  finger  of  God.  Ex.  31 :  18 ;  32 : 
15,  16 ;  34  :  1,  28.  Ten  was  a  significant 
number,  the  symbol  of  completeness ;  and 
in  these  ten  words  was  comprised  that 
moral  law  to  which  obedience  forever  was 
to  be  paid.  On  these,  summed  up  as  our 
Lord  summed  them  up,  hung  all  the  law 
and  the  prophets.  Matt.  22  :  36-40.  There 
were  two  tables,  the  commandments  of  the 
one  more  especially  respecting  God.  those 
of  the  other,  man.  These  are  usually  di- 
vided into  four  and  six.  Perhaps  they 
might  better  be  distributed  into  five  and 
five.  The  honor  to  parents  enjoined  by  the 
fifth  commandment  is  based  on  the'  ser- 
vice due  to  God,  the  Father  of  his  people. 
Paul,  enumerating  those  which  respect  our 
neighbor,  includes  but  the  last  five.  Rom. 
13:9. 

Terah  (te'rah),  delay.  The  father  of 
Abraham,  who  left  Ur  to  go  to  Canaan,  but 
died  at  Haran,  in  Mesopotamia.  Gen.  11  : 
24-32  ;  Josh.  24 : 2,  14  ;  Acts  7  : 2-4.  He  is 
called  "  Tharah  "  in  Luke  3  :  34. 

Teraphim  {ter'a-pimn),  givers  of  prosper- 
ous life?  Images  kept  in  the  houses  and 
honored  with  a  certain  kind  of  reverence. 
Laban  had  some  of  them ;  and  Rachel  took 
these  when  leaving  Padan-aram.  Gen.  31 : 
19,  30,  32-35.  So  we  find  that  they  were 
employed  for  purposes  of  divination  among 
the  Babylonians.  Ezek.  21 :  21.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  Rachel  imagined  that  some  au- 
gury of  the  future  might  be  obtained  from 
them  ;  and  she  must  have  considered  them 


as  having  a  tutelary  power.  These  images 
were  probably  some  of  the  strange  gods  of 
w^hich  Jacob  subsequently  cleansed  his 
household.  Gen.  35  :  2,  4.  Micah  had 
them  in  his  house,  and  felt  sure  that 
Jehovah  would  bless  him  when  he  had  a 
Levite  to  minister  before  them.  Judg.  17  : 
5,  13.  These  the  Danites  eagerly  carried 
oif.  Judg.  18 :  14-21.  It  is  still  more  per- 
plexing to  find  ihem  in  David's  house.  1 
Sam.  19  :  13,  16.  And  it  does  not  seem  that 
they  were  altogether  put  away  till  the 
thorough  reformation  of  Josiah's  days.  2 
Kings  23  :  24.  Then,  indeed,  they  were 
classed  with  abominable  things.  The  word 
is  used,  1  Sam.  15 :  23,  rendered  in  our  ver- 
sion "idolatry,"  in  expressing  the  truth 
that  obstinacy  was  sinful,  "iniquity,  and 
teraphim  worship."  We  find  them  also 
censured  in  Zech.  10  :  2 ;  and  Hosea  em- 
ployed the  term  to  signify  the  state  of  Is- 
rael with  no  kind  of  worship  either  of  the 
true  God  or  of  lalse  deities.  Hos.  3  :  4.  We 
may  gather  that  they  were  made  of  various 
materials,  as  of  silver,  Judg.  17  :  4,  and  that 
they  resembled  a  human  figure  sometimes 
of  the  natural  size.  1  Sam.  19 :  13.  .Per- 
haps they  were  like  the  Roman  Penates  or 
household  gods.  Small  figures  of  baked 
clay,  some  with  a  human  head  and  a  hon's 
body,  and  otliers  with  a  human  body  and 
lynx  head,  have  been  found  under  the 
pavement  of  the  porch  of  the  Khorsabad 
palace. 

Tertullus  {ter-tixl'lus).  "  A  certain  ora- 
tor," Acts  24  : 1,  who  was  retained  to  accuse 
the  apostle  Paul  at  Csesarea  before  the  Ro- 
man procurator  Felix. 

Tetrarch.  This  title  strictly  denotes 
one  wdio  governs  the  fourth  part  of  a  prov- 
ince or  kingdom.  Matt.  14:1.  In  Scripture, 
however,  it  is  applied  to  any  one  who  gov- 
erned a  province  of  the  Roman  empire, 
whatever  portion  of  the  territory  might  be 
within  his  jurisdiction.    Matt.  14  : 9. 

Thebez  (the'bez)  brightness.  The  town 
where  Abimelech  was  killed.  Judg.  9  :  50 ; 
2  Sam.  11 :  21.  It  is  now  Tubas,  a  place  11 
miles  northeast  of  Shechem,  Nablus. 

Tlieopliilus  {the-oph'i-lus),  lover  of  God. 
A  noted  person  to  whom  Luke  addressed 
his  gospel  and  his  history  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles.  Luke  1 :  3.  The  title  "  most  ex- 
cellent" probably  denotes  official  dignity. 
Acts  23  :  26  ;  24 : 3  ;  and  26  :  25. 

Tliessalonians  (thes'sa-lo'ni-anz),  Epis- 
tles to  tlie.  These  epistles  are  ascribed  to 
Paul  by  Irenpeus,  Clement  of  Alexandria, 
and  Tertullian.  The  First  Epistle  was 
probably  the  first  of  all  the  Pauline  letters, 
and  written,  not  at  Athens,  but  at  Corinth, 
about  A.  D.  52.  The  design  of  the  epistle 
was  to  establish  the  followers  of  Christ  in 
those  graces  for  which  they  were  consjiicu- 
ous.  and  to  encourage  them  under  severe 
persecutions.  Acts  17  : 1-11 ;  1  Thess.  1 :  5, 
().  The  Second  Epistle,  also  written  at  Cor- 
inth, near  the  close  of  a.  n.  53  or  early  in 
54,  was  designed  to  correct  some  misappre- 
hensions respecting  the  First  Epistle.  Some 
misunderstood  the  apostle's  words,  and 
taught  that  the  day  of  the  Lord  was  very 
near  at  hand.  1  Thess.  5  :  2-4.  Paul  cor- 
205 


THESSALONICA 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


TIGLATH-PILESER 


rects  this  misapprehension  and  assures 
them  that  the  "man  of  sin,"  or  "son  of 
perdition,"  must  reach  the  highest  pitch 
of  arrogance  before  final  ruin  from  tlie 
Lord  be  hurled  upon  the  "mystery  of  in- 
iquity," which  was  already  Working.  2 
Thess.  2 : 3-12. 

Thessalonica  (thes'sa-lo-m'kah).  A  city 
of  Macedonia.  It  was  in  Paul's  time  a  free 
city  of  the  Romans,  the  capital  and  most 
populous  city  in  Macedonia.  Paul  and 
Silas,  in  A.  "d.  58,  came  to  Thessalonica 
from  Phihppi,  -which  was  100  miles  nortli- 
east.  For  at  least  three  Sabbaths  the  apos- 
tles preached  to  their  countrymen.  A 
church  was  gathered,  principally  com]:>osed 
of  Gentiles.  At  length  the  persecution  be- 
came so  violent  as  to  drive  the  apostles 
away.  Paul  desired  to  revisit  the  church 
there,  and  sent  Timothy  to  minister  to 
them.  Among  his  converts  were  Caius, 
Aristarchus,  Secundus,  and  perhaps  Jason. 
Acts  17 : 1-13 ;  20  :  4 ;  27  :  2 :  comp.  Phil.  4  : 
16  ;  2  Tim.  4 :  10.  Paul  wrote  two  epistles 
to  the  Thessalonian  church  from  Corinth. 
1  Thess.  1 : 1 ;  2  Thess.  1 : 1.  The  "  rulers  " 
of  the  city,  Acts  17  : 6,  8,  are  called,  in  the 
original,  "politarchs."  This  is  a  peculiar 
term,  not  elsewhere  found  in  the  ISew  Tes- 
tament, but  this  very  word  appears  in  the 
Inscription  on  a  triumphal  arch  beheved 
to  have  been  erected  after  the  battle  of 
Phihppi.  The  names  of  seven  pohtarchs 
are  given.  During  several  centuries  Thes- 
salonica was  an  important  centre  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  oriental  church,  and  from 
it  the  Bulgarians  and  Slavonians  were 
reached.  The  population  no^v  is  about 
80,000,  of  whom  30,000  are  Jews  and  10,000 
Greeks. 

Tlieudas  {theu'das),  God-given.  An  insur- 
rectionary chieftain  mentioned  by  Gama- 
hel.  Acts  5 :  36.  This  Theudas  was  an  ob- 
scure individual  who  is  not  mentioned 
elsewhere.    The  name  was  a  common  one. 

Thomas  (tom'as),  troin.  Also  called  Did- 
ymiis,  a  Greek  term  meaning  tivin.  Matt. 
10  :  3  ;  Mark  3  :  18 :  Luke  6  :  15  ;  Acts  1  :  13. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  apostle 
was  a  native  of  Galilee.  John  21 :  2.  In 
the  character  of  Thomas  we  observe  a  desire 
for  a  sufficient  evidence  of  facts.  John  14  : 
5  ;  20  :  24, 25.  He  was  of  a  thoughtful  mind  ; 
his  affection  for  his  jSIaster  was  warm  and 
disinterested,  John  11 :  16 ;  and  his  faith  was 
not,  as  some  have  characterized  it,  incon- 
siderate, running  easily  from  one  extreme 
to  the  other.  He  had  doubted  the  resur- 
rection, and  described  the  kind  of  proof  he 
required ;  but,  when  the  Lord  appeared, 
and  showed  by  his  address  to  him  that  he 
knew  his  thoughts,  then  the  apostle  natu- 
rally desired  nothing  more.  His  reason 
was'  convinced :  it  was  his  Lord  and  his 
God.  John  20  :  26-29.  There  is  nothing 
in  Thomas'  behavior  to  surprise  those 
accustomed  to  analyze  the  workings  of 
the  human  mind.  The  Scripture  is  af- 
terwards silent  as  to  this  apostle.  Accord- 
ing to  earhest  tradition,  he  preached  in  Par- 
thia,  and  was  buried  at  Edessa  :  later  his- 
tories say  that  he  went  to  India,  and  was 
martyred  there ;  and  the  Syrian  Christians 
206 


in  that  country  claim  him  as  the  founder 
of  their  church. 

Thresh,  Tlireshing.  Different  modes 
of  threshing  are  used  in  the  East.  A  level 
spot  was  selected  for  the  threshing-floor, 
generally  in  an  exposed  situation  where 
advantage  might  be  taken  of  the  wind  for 
winnowing  or  separating  the  corn  from  the 
chaff'  when  the  threshing  process  was  com- 
pleted. Robinson  observed  several  of 
these  floors  near  together  of  a  circular  form 
hardened  by  beating  down  the  earth,  and 
about  50  feet  in  diameter,  the  sheaves  being 
thickly  spread  on  them.  Near  Jericho  "were 
no  less  than  five  such  floors,  all  trodden 
by  oxen,  cows,  and  younger  cattle,  ar- 
ranged in  each  case  five  abreast,  and  driven 
round  in  a  circle,  or  rather  in  all  directions, 
over  the  floor.  .  .  By  this  process  the  straw 
is  broken  up  and  becomes  chaff.  It  is  occa- 
sionally turned  up  with  a  large  wooden  fork 
ha-\dng  two  prongs,  and  when  sufliciently 
trodden  is  thrown  up  with  the  same  fork 
against  the  wind  in  order  to  separate  the 
grain,  which  is  then  gathered  up  and  win- 
nowed. The  whole  process  is  exceedingly 
wasteful." 

Thyatira  {thy'a-tl'rah).  A  city  of  Asia 
Minor,  on  the  northern  border  of  Lydia. 
Dyeing  was  an  important  branch  of  its 
business  from  Homer's  time,  and  the  first 
New  Testament  mention  of  Thyatira,  Acts 
16  :  14,  connects  it  with  the  purple-seller, 
Lydia.  Three  votive  inscriptions  have 
been  found  among  its  ruins  purporting  to 
have  come  from  the  guild  of  "The  Dyers." 
Thyatira  v.as  the  seat  of  one  of  the  seven 
churches  of  Asia.  Rev.  2 :  18-29.  Its  pop- 
ulation now  is  estimated  at  from  17,000  to 
20,000. 

Thyine-wood.  A  kind  of  cedar  grow- 
ing in  Spain,  and  on  the  coa.st  of  Africa. 
It  was  the  Citrum.  or  citron-\vood  of  the 
Romans,  the  Thuja  articulata  of  Linnseus. 
It  was  frequently  employed  to  give  fra- 
grance to  sacrifices.  Rev.  18  :  12,  margin, 
siveet.  The  tree  grows  to  the  height  of  30 
feet,  or  even  more,  and  resembles  the  cy- 
press in  its  boughs,  leaves,  and  fruit. 

Tiberias  {tl-br'ri-as).  A  town  in  Galilee, 
on  the  western  shore  of  the  sea  of  Tiberias. 
John  6 : 1,  23.  Our  Lord  never  visited  it. 
He  was  often  in  the  immediate  neighbor- 
hood :  but  we  never  read  of  his  entering 
Tiberias.  It  was  the  seat  for  centuries  of  a 
famous  academy,  and  to  the  present  day  it 
is  one  of  the  four  holy  cities.  Near  to  Ti- 
berias are  the  celebrated  hot  baths  of 
Haramam.  The  present  city  contains  about 
2000  inhabitants. 

Tiberius  (ti-be'ri-ns).  Luke  3  : 1.  Tibe- 
rius Claudius  Nero,  the  second  Roman  em- 
peror, from  A.  D.  14  until  a.  d.  37.  He  was 
the  son  of  Tiberius  Claudius  Nero  and 
Livia,  and  hence  a  stepson  of  Augustus. 
He  was  despotic  in  his  government,  cruel 
and  ^^ndictive  in  his  disposition.  He  died 
A.  D.  37,  at  the  age  of  78,  after  a  reign  of  23 
years.  Our  Saviour  was  put  to  death  in  the 
reign  of  Tiberius.    John  19  :  12,  15. 

Tiglath-pileser  (t1g'lafh-p1-lc'zer).  The 
second  Assyrian  king  mentioned  in  the 
Scriptures  as  having  come  into  contact  with 


TIMNATH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


TOB 


the  Israelites,  and  the  second  of  the  name. 
He  invaded  Samaria,  2  Kings  15  :  29,  and 
after  some  years  destroyed  Damascus,  tak- 
ing many  captives.  1  Chron.  5  :  26.  The 
occasion  of  the  first  attacli  was  probably 
the  refusal  of  Pekah  to  pay  tribute  ;  of  tlie 
second,  the  call  of  Ahaz  upon  him  for  as- 
sistance against  Pekah  and  Rezin,  the  king 
of  Syria.  Tiglath-pileser  at  Damascus  met 
Ahaz,  who  became  his  vassal.  2  Kings  16  : 
10.     He  reigned  B.  c.  747-730. 

Timnatli  (luii'nath)  and  Timiiathali 
(tim'na-tliah),  portion  assigned.  1.  A  place 
to  which  Judah  was  going  when  he  was 
met  bv  ills  daughter-in-law  Tamar,  Gen. 
38 :  12-14  ;  R.  V.,  ''  Timnah."  2.  The  home 
of  Samson's  wife,  Judg.  14  :  1,  2,  5  ;  R.  V., 
"  Timnah  ; "  probably  also  identical  with 
Timnah,  the  modern  Tibneh,  west  of  Beth- 
shemesh. 

Timnatli-serali  (tlm'nath-se'rah),  por- 
tion of  abundance.  A  town  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Ephraim,  which  was  assigned  to 
Joshua ;  and  in  which  he  was  buried. 
Josh.  19  :  49,  50  ;  24  :  30.  It  is  also  written 
"  Timnath-heres  "= portion  of  the  sun.  Judg. 
2:9. 

Timothy  {tlrn'o-thy),  honoring  God. 
Called  also  Tiinotheus,  A.  V.  An  evan- 
gelist and  helper  of  Paul.  His  father  was 
a  Greek  and  a  heathen ;  his  mother,  Eu- 
nice, was  a  Jewess,  and  a  woman  of  piety, 
as  was  also  his  grandmother,  Lois.  2  Tim.  1 : 
5,  and  by  them  he  was  early  taught  in  the 
Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament.  2  Tim. 
3  :  15.  Paul  selected  him  as  an  assistant  in 
his  labors,  and,  to  avoid  the  cavils  of  the 
Jews,  had  him  circumcised.  1  Cor.  9  :  20. 
He  was  left  in  charge  of  the  church  at 
Ephesus,  1  Tim.  4  :  12.  A  post-apostohc 
tradition  makes  him  bishop  of  Ephesus. 

Epistles  of  Paul  to.  These,  with  that 
to  Titus,  are  commonly  called  the  Pastoral 
Epistles,  because  they  give  directions 
about  church  work.  First  Timothy  is 
supposed  to  have  been  written  about  the 
year  65,  and  contains  special  instructions 
respecting  the  qualifications  and  the  du- 
ties of  orflcers  and  other  persons  in  the 
church.  The  second  epistle  was  written  a 
year  or  two  later  and  while  Paul  was  in 
constant  expectation  of  martvrdom.  2 
Tim.  4  :  6-8. 

Tin.  Num.  31 :  22 :  Ezek.  27 :  12.  Burton 
has  recentlv  found  tin-ore  in  the  land  of 
Midian.  In  Isa.  1:25  the  word  "tin" 
doubtless  means  a  sort  of  dross.  The  mar- 
gin of  the  R.  V.  reads  "alloy." 

Tip  lis  ah  {tif'sah),  passage,  ford.  A 
city  on  the  western  bank  of  the  Euphrates, 
supposed  to  be  the  Tliapsacus  of  the  Greeks 
and  Romans.  It  was  the  northeastern  ex- 
tremity of  Solomon's  dominions.  1  Kings 
4 :  24. 

Tirhakah  {tir'ha-kah),  exalted  f  King  of 
Ethiopia  and  upper  Egypt.  2  Kings  19  :  9  ; 
Isa.  37  : 9.  In  legends  he  was  one  of  the  great- 
est conquerors  of  antiquity.  His  triumphs 
westward  are  said  to  have  reached  the  Pil- 
lars of  Hercules.  When  Sennacherib  heard 
of  his  coming  he  demanded  the  immediate 
surrender  of  Jerusalem.  2  Kings  19 :  9,  16. 
Tirhakah  reigned,  probably.  28  years.    The 


dates  are  uncertain,  but  perhaps  his  rule 
extended  from  B.  c.  695  to  667. 

Tirzali  {tir'zah),  delight.  One  of  the  31 
cities  of  the  Canaanites  taken  by  Joshua, 
Josh.  12  :  24,  and  for  50  years  the  capital  of 
the  northern  kingdom  of  Israel,  until  Omri 
built  Samaria.  1  Kings  14 :  17  ;  15 :  21,  33 ; 
16  :  6,  23.  It  is  also  mentioned  in  the  reign 
of  Menahem,  B.  c.  772,  2  Kings  15 :  14,  16, 
and  its  fame  for  beauty  appears  from  Song 
of  Sol.  6  :  4.  Tirzah  has  been  usually  iden- 
tified with  Telluzah,  five  miles  east  of  Sa- 
maria, and  30  miles  north  of  Jerusalem. 
The  village  occupies  a  fine  elevation  in  the 
midst  of  olive  groves. 

Tishbah  (tish'bah).  The  birthplace  of 
Elijah,  1  Kings  17  : 1,  who  is  therefore 
called  the  Tishbite,  probably  identical  with 
el-Istib,  or  Listib,  22  miles  in  an  air-line 
south  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  ten  miles 
east  of  the  Jordan. 

Tithes,  or  Tenths.  A  form  of  tax 
known  long  before  the  time  of  Moses,  Gen. 
14  :  20 ;  28  :  22,  and  practised  under  the  civil 
and  religious  government  of  heathen  na- 
tions. It  required  a  fixed  proportion  of  the 
produce  of  the  earth  and  of  herds,  for  the 
service  of  God.  One-tenth  of  this  produce 
went  to  the  use  of  the  Levites,  who  had  no 
part  in  the  soil,  and  of  course  were  depend- 
ent on  their  brethren  for  the  means  of  sub- 
sistence. One-tenth  of  their  tenth  they  paid 
in  their  turn  to  the  priests.  Num.  18  :"21-32. 
The  nine  parts  were  tithed  again,  and  of  this 
second  tithe  a  feast  was  made  in  the  court 
of  the  sanctuary,  or  in  some  apartment  con- 
nected with  it.  If,  however,  the  Jew  could 
not  with  convenience  carry  his  tithe  thither, 
he  was  permitted  to  sell  it  and  to  take  the 
money,  adding  one-fifth  of  the  amount- 
that  is,  if  he  sold  the  tithe  for  a  dollar,  he 
should  bring,  in  money,  a  dollar  and  twenty 
cents— and  to  purchase  therewith  what  was 
required  at  the  feast  after  he  came  to  the 
sanctuarj'.  Lev.  27  :  31 ;  Deut.  12  :  17,  18  ;  14  : 
22-27.  See  for  full  account,  Bissell's  Bib- 
lical Antiquities. 

Tittle,  the  very  least  point,  Matt.  5 :  18 ; 
used  of  the  fine  stroke  by  which  some  let- 
ters were  distinguished.  To  omit  this  stroke 
condemned  the  entire  copy  of  the  Law 
made  by  the  scribe. 

Titvis  (ti'tus).  A  Gentile  by  descent,  and 
probably  converted  to  Christianity  under 
the  preaching  of  Paul.  Titus  1 : 4.  He,  how- 
ever, refused  to  subject  him  to  the  rite  of 
circumcision,  though, as  some  have  inferred, 
he  was  strongly  urged  so  to  do.  Gal.  2  :  :3-5. 
Titus  was  the  companion  of  Paul  in  many 
of  his  trials  and  missionary  tours,  2  Cor.  8 : 
6,  16,  23,  and  was  entrusted' with  several  im- 
portant commissions.  2  Cor.  12  :  18  ;  2  Tim. 
4  :  10 ;  Titus  1 :  5. 

Epistle  of  Paul  to,  was  designed  to  in- 
struct Titus  in  the  right  discharge  of  his 
ministerial  offices  in  Crete,  a  ditficult  field, 
owing  to  the  character  of  the  inhabitants, 
who  were  noted  for  lying,  idleness,  and 
gluttony.  Titus  1 :  12.  The  Epistle  was  prob- 
ably written  from  Asia  Minor  in  the  year 
65,  when  Paul  was  on  his  way  to  Nicop'ohs, 

Tob  (tob),  good.  The  place  or  district  be- 
yond the  Jordan  to  which  Jephthah  fled, 
207 


TOBIAH 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


TRIBES 


Judg.  11 : 3,  5 ;  also  called  Ish-tolD.  2  Sam. 
10 : 6,  8,  A.  V.  It  lay  beyond  Gilead,  toward 
the  eastern  deserts. 

Tobiali  {to-hl' ah),  goodness  of  Jehovah.  1. 
"The  children  of  Tobiah"  were  a  family 
who  returned  with  Zerubbabel,  but  were 
unable  to  prove  their  connection  with  Is- 
rael. Ezra  2  :  60  ;  Neh.  7  :  62.  2.  Tobiah 
though  a  slave,  Neh.  2  :  10, 19— unless  this 
is  a  title  of  opprobrium— and  an  Ammonite, 
found  means  to  ally  himself  with  a  priestly 
family,  and  his  son  Johanan  married  the 
daughter  of  Meshullam  the  son  of  Bere- 
cliiah.  Neh.  6  :  18.  He  himself  was  the  .'^on- 
in-iaw  of  Shechaniah  the  son  of  Arab,  Neh. 
6 :  17,  and  these  family  relations  created  for 
him  a  strong  faction  among  the  Jews. 

Tongues,  Gift  of.  Joel  2  :  28  ;  Acts  2 :  16 ; 
Mark  16  :  17  ;  comp.  Matt.  10  :  19,  20;  Mark 
13  :  11.  This  gift  was  of  two  kinds.  The 
first  gift  was  the  power  to  "declare  the 
wonderful  works  of  God"  in  languages 
ordinarily  unknown  to  the  speakers,  for  the 
instruction  of  foreign  hearers.  Acts  2  :  4-11. 
The  other  form  of  the  gift  of  tongues  is 
thought  to  ha^se  been  an  ecstatic  form  of 
worship,  chiefly  praise,  but  requiring  inter- 
pretation. Acts  10 :  46 :  1  Cor.  12  :  30. 

Topaz.  Ezek.  28  :  13 ;  Rev.  21 :  20.  The 
modern  chrysohte,  a  rather  soft  and  trans- 
parent or  translucent  gem,  usually  of  a  pale 
green.  The  true  topaz  is  ordinarily  pellucid 
and  of  a  yellowish  tint,  but  sometimes  of  a 
brown,  blue,  or  green  hue,  or  even  colorless. 
A  single  gem  of  this  kind  has  been  sold  (it 
is  said)  for  upwards  of  §1,000,000.  The  finest 
specimens  are  found  in  the  East  Indies. 

Toplietli  (to'/eth),  and  once  Topliet 
{to'fet),  place  of  burning,  fii-st  applied  to  a 
deep  part  of  the  "  valley  of  the  son  of  Hin- 
nom,"  Jer.  7  :31,  "by  the  entry  of  the  east 
gate."  Jer.  19  :  2.  It  seems  also  to  have 
been  part  of  the  king's  gardens,  and  watered 
by  Siloam.  Tophet  occurs  only  in  the  Old 
Testament.  2  Kings  23  :  10  ;  Isa.'  30  :  33 ;  Jer. 
7  :  31,  32  ;  19  :  6,  11-14.  The  New  does  not 
refer  to  it.  Tophet  has  been  variously  trans- 
lated. The  most  natural  meaning  seems 
that  suggested  by  the  occurrence  of  the 
word  in  two  consecutive  verses,  in  one  of 
which  it  is  a  tabret  and  in  the  otlier  tophet. 
Isa.  30  :  32,  33.  Tophet  was  probn  bly  the 
king's  "music-grove"  or  garden,  denoting 
originally  nothing  evil  or  hateful.  Certainly 
there  is  little  evidence  that  it  took  its  name 
from  the  drums  beaten  to  drown  the  cries 
of  the  burning  victims  that  passed  through 
the  fire  to  Molech.  Afterward  it  was  defiled 
by  idols  and  polluted  by  the  sacrifices  of 
Baal  and  the  fires  of  Molech.  Then  it  be- 
came the  place  of  abomination,  the  very 
gate  or  pit  of  hell.  The  pious  kings  defiled 
it,  pouring  into  it  all  the  filth  of  the  city, 
till  it  became  the  "abhorrence"  of  Jerusa- 
lem.    See  Hell. 

Traclionitis  {truk'o-ni'tis),  a  rugged  re- 
gion. One  of  the  five  Roman  provinces 
"into  which  the  district  northeast  of  the 
Jordan  was  divided  in  New  Testament 
times.  It  lay  to  the  east  of  Ituraea  and 
Ganlonitis  and  to  the  south  of  Damascus, 
and  included  the  remarkable  region  of  the 
modern  Lejah  (see  Argob)  and  part  of  the 
208 


western  slopes  of  Jebel  Hauran.  The  em- 
peror Augustus  entrusted  it  to  Herod  the 
Great  on  the  condition  that  he  should  clear 
it  of  rubbers.  Herod  Philip  succeeded  to 
the  tetrarchy.  Luke  3:1.  He  died  a.  d.  33, 
and  the  emperor  Caligula  bestowed  the 
province  of  Traclionitis  upon  Herod  Agrippa 
I.  Later  it  was  part  of  the  dominions  of 
Herod  Agrippa  II.,  a.  d.  53. 

Tradition.  Judg.  6  :  13.  Tradition  is 
usually  considered  to  imply  that  which  was 
taught  by  oral  Instruction,  in  distinction 
from  that  which  was  committed  to  writing. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  gospel  the  Christian 
doctrine  was  taught  orally.  Paul  refers  to 
"traditions"  which  he  commands  to  be 
held  fast,  being  as  binding  as  any  com- 
mandments delivered  in  anv  other  way.  2 
Thess.  2  :  15;  3  :  6.  The  Jews  had  really 
contradicted  God's  law  by  their  traditions, 
which  they  pretended  were  of  equal  or  even 
superior  authority.  For  this  our  Lord  re- 
proved them.  Matt.  15  : 1-9.  They  attached 
more  importance  to  their  traditionary  ex- 
position of  the  law  than  to  the  law  itself, 
calling  the  latter  water,  the  tradition  the 
wine  that  must  be  mingled  with  it.  Their 
traditions  were  subsequently  collected  into 
the  Talmud. 

Transfiguration,  The.  Matt.  17  : 1-13  ; 
Mark  9  :  2-13 ;  Luke  9  :  28-36.  Though  tra- 
dition locates  the  transfiguration  on  Mount 
Tabor,  there  is  httle  to  confirm  this  view, 
and  modern  scholars  favor  some  spur  of 
Mount  Hermon,  Jesus  frequently  went  to 
the  mountains  to  spend  the  night  in  praver. 
Matt.  14  :  23,  24 ;  Luke  6  :  12 ;  21  :  37.  the 
apostles  are  described  as  heavy  with  sleep, 
but  as  having  kept  themselves  awake.  Luke 
9  :  32.  Moses  the  law-giver  and  Elijah  the 
chief  of  the  prophets  both  appear  talking 
with  Christ  the  source  of  the  gospel,  to  show 
that  they  are  all  one  and  agree  in  one. 
Luke  9  :  31  adds  the  subject  of  their  com- 
muning :  "They  sjiake  of  his  decease 
which  he  should  accomplish  at  Jerusalem." 
Among  the  apostles  the  three  favorite  dis- 
ciples, Peter,  James,  and  John,  were  the 
sole  witnesses  of  the  scene.  The  cloud 
which  overshadowed  the  witnesses  was 
bright  or  light-like,  luminous,  of  the  same 
kind  as  the  cloud  at  the  ascension.  It 
is  significant  that  at  the  end  of  the  scene 
the  disciples  saw  no  man  save  Jesus  only. 
Moses  and  Elijah,  the  law  and  the  promise, 
types  and  shadows,  pass  away  ;  the  gospel, 
the  fulfilment,  the  substance,  Christ  re- 
mains—the only  one  who  can  reheve  the 
misery  of  earth  and  glorify  our  nature, 
Christ  all  in  all. 

Tribes.  Num.  13 :  2-15.  The  twelve 
sons  of  Jacob  were  heads  of  families,  and 
each  family  a  tribe.  The  two  sons  of 
Joseph  were  adopted  by  Jacob  in  place  of 
Joseph.  Gen.  48 :  5.  So  there  were  thirteen 
tribes.  But  in  dividing  Canaan  there  \\  ere 
only  twelve,  since  the  family  of  Levi  was 
assigned  to  the  Lord's  service  and  had  no 
separate  lot  or  share  in  the  division  of  the 
promised  land.  Josh.  13  :  7-14,  33.  The 
tribes  A\ere  ccmtinued  under  one  head  or 
nation  until  after  the  death  of  Solomon, 
when  ten  tribes  revolted  from  Judah  and 


TRINITY 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


TYRE 


Benjamin,  and  set  up  the  northern  king- 
dom— Israel.  Tliey  were  carried  into  cap- 
tivity in  721  B.  c,  and  no  account  of  their 
return  is  given.  Judah  was  also  carried 
into  captivity,  606  to  588  E.  c.  ;  but  a  rem- 
nant returned  under  Zenibbabel,  Ezra,  and 
Nehemiah,  536  b.  c.  and  later.  Tribes  are 
referred  to  as  being  in  the  Christian  church. 
Christ  teUs  the  apostles :  "  Ye  .  .  shall  sit 
upon  twelve  thrones,  judging  the  twelve 
tribes  of  Israel."  Matt.  19:28;  Luke  22: 
30.  James  addresses  his  epistle  "To  the 
twelve  tribes  which  are  scattered  abroad." 
Jas.  1 : 1.  In  the  Revelation  "  144,000  of  all 
the  tribes  of  the  children  of  Israel "  were 
sealed.    Rev.  7  :  4.    See  Jews. 

Trinity.  This  word  does  not  occur  in 
Scripture.  As  a  fact  the  Scripture  reveals 
the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  in  two  ways  : 
first  in  passages  in  which  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Spirit  are  mentioned  together  as 
God ;  and  secondly,  in  passages  which 
speak  of  each  as  divine.  In  the  New  Tes- 
tament clear  evidence  is  given.  See  Matt. 
3  :  16,  17  ;  28 :  19 ;  1  Cor.  12 : 3-6 ;  2  Cor.  13 : 
14 ;  Eph.  4:4-6;  Tit.  3:4-6;  1  Pet.  1:2; 
Jude  20,  21.  These  passages,  carefully  read, 
are  sufficient  to  prove  that  "  the  Godhead 
of  the  Father,  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  is  one,  the  glory  equal,  the  majesty 
co-eternal ;  such  as  tlie  Father  is,  such  is 
the  Son,  and  such  is  the  Holy  Ghost ;  the 
Father  is  God,  the  Son  is  God,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  God ;  and  yet  they  are  not 
three  Gods,  but  one  God." 

T  r  o  a  s  {tro'us).  A  city  in  the  northwest- 
ern part  of  Asia  Minor,  oil  the  sea-coast,  six 
miles  south  of  the  entrance  to  the  Helles- 
pont, and  four  miles  south  of  the  Homeric 
Troy.  Alexandria  Troas,  as  its  name  im- 
plies, owed  its  origin  to  Alexander  the 
Great.  Its  port  was  excellent,  and  made 
Troas  for  many  centuries  the  key  of  the 
commerce  between  Asia  and  Europe.  Paul 
visited  Troas  twice,  and  perhaps  three 
times.  The  first  visit  was  on  liis  second 
missionary  journey.  It  was  from  Troas 
that,  after  the  visit  of  the  "man  of  Mace- 
donia," he  sailed  to  carry  the  gospel  into 
Europe.  Acts  16  :  8-11.  On  his  return  jour- 
ney he  stopped  at  Troas  for  eight  days  and 
restored  Eutychus  to  hfe.  Acts  20  :  5-10. 
Upon  one  visit  he  left  his  cloak  and  some 
books  there.    2  Tim.  4 :  13. 

Trophimus  {trofi-mus),  foster-child.  A 
native  of  Ephesus,  Acts  21 :  29,  and  a  con- 
vert to  the  gospel,  probably  under  Paul's 
ministry.  Acts  20  :  4.  He  became  one  of 
the  apostle's  companions  and  helpers  in 
missionary  travels  and  labors.  2  Tim.  4 :  20. 

Trumpets,  Feast  of.  This  feast — de- 
scribed in  Num.  29  : 1-6 ;  Lev.  2:3  :  24— was 
the  New  Year's  day  of  the  civil  year,  com- 
ing on  the  first  of  Tisri  (October),  and  was 
further  called  by  the  rabbins  "the  birth- 
day of  the  world,"  because  in  Tisri  the  late 
fruits  were  gathered  and  seed  was  sown. 
It  was  one  of  the  seven  days  of  holy  con- 
vocation. The  feast  differed  from  the  other 
feasts  of  new  moon,  which  also  had  their 
trumpet-blowings  over  the  burnt-offerings, 
by  its  being  a  day  of  rest  and  service. 

Tubal  {tu'bal).     Fifth  son  of  Japheth, 


whose  descendants  probably  peopled  a 
country  lying  south  of  the  Caucasus,  be- 
tween the  Black  Sea  and  the  Araxes, 
whose  inhabitants  were  the  Tibareni  of 
the  Greeks.  Gen.  10  :  2.  The  Circassians, 
who  inhabit  this  region, were  slave-dealers, 
and  they  of  Tubal  traded  in  the  persons  of 
men.    Ezek.  27  :  13  ;  38  :  2 :  comp.  Rev.  18  : 

re. 

Turtle-Dove.  Ps.  74  :  19.  By  the  Jew- 
ish law  the  poor  who  could  not  afford. 
a  more  costly  sacrifice  were  permitted  to 
bring  two  turtle-doves  or  two  young  pig- 
eons. Lev.  12  :  6-8.  As  the  former  are  not 
domesticated  and  breed  everywhere  in  pro- 
digious numbers,  this  provision  was  a  great 
boon  to  the  needy.  The  outward  circum- 
stances of  Christ's  parents  are  thus  indi- 
cated in  Luke  2  :  24. 

Tychicus  (tyk'i-kus).  A  companion  of 
Paul,  Acts  20  :  4,  and  evidentlv  a  devoted 
and  faithful  disciple.  Eph.  6  :  21,  22 ;  CoL 
4 : 7,  8. 

T  y  r  a  n  n  u  s  (ty-rdn'nus),  tyrant.  The 
name  of  the  Greek  rhetorician  of  Ephesus 
in  whose  lecture-room  Paul  delivered  dis- 
courses daily  for  two  years.    Acts  19 :  9. 

Tyre  (tyre)  and  T  y  r  u  s  {ty'rus).  Heb. 
Tsor,  "rock;"  Arabic  Sur.  A  celebrated 
city  of  Phoenicia,  on  the  eastern  coast  of 
the  Mediterranean  Sea,  21  miles  south  of 
Sidon.  Tyre  was  originally  on  an  island, 
or  perhaps  two  islands,  about  one  mile 
long,  and  lying  parallel  to  the  shore  at  the 
distance  of  half  a  mile.  There  was  also  a 
city  called  "Palfetyrus  "  —  "Old  Tyre  "  — 
upon  the  mainland.  The  first  Scripture 
mention  of  Tyre  is  in  the  time  of  Joshua, 
B.  c.  1444,  and  it  was  then  "  a  strong  city." 
Josh.  19  :  29.  It  was  coupled  with  the  Zido- 
nians.  Jer.  47  :  4 ;  Isa.  23  :  2,  4, 12  :  Josh.  13 : 
6 :  Ezek.  32 :  30.  The  two  cities  Tyre  and 
Sidon,  being  only  21  miles  apart,  were  in- 
timately associated.  Tyre,  under  king  Hi- 
ram, held  friendly  relations  with  Israel, 
under  David  and  Solomon.  David's  census 
extended  thither  to  embrace  the  Jews.  2 
Sam.  24  :  7.  The  Tyrians  furnished  the 
timber  for  the  temple  and  great  buildings 
of  Jerusalem.  The  cedars  of  Lebanon  were 
floated  from  Tyre  to  Joppa,  some  85  miles, 
and  thence  taken  to  Jerusalem.  Tyrian 
artists  also  were  skilful  in  the  fine  work  re- 
quired. As  a  reward  for  his  services,  Hiram 
was  presented  with  20  cities  in  northern 
Galilee,  but  he  was  not  well  pleased  with 
them  and  called  them"Cabul"  —  "dis- 
pleasing" or  "  despicable."  2  Sam.  5:11; 
1  Kings  5  : 1 ;  7  :  13 :  9  :  11.  12 ;  1  Chron.  14  : 
1 ;  2  Chron.  2 :  2,  3, 11.  Hiram  and  Solomon 
were  also  as.sociated  in  commercial  enter- 
prises. 1  Kings  9 :  27 :  10 ;  11-22 ;  2  Chron. 
8  :  17, 18 ;  9  :  21.  From  Tyre  came  the  many 
fatal  influences  toward  idolatry  which  cor- 
rupted the  chosen  peoyjle.  At  a  later  period 
the  friendly  relations  were  changed  to  hos- 
tility. Tyre  rejoiced  in  the  distress  of  Israel, 
and  God's  prophet  predicted  the  terrible 
overthrow  of  the  proud  heathen  citv.  Isa. 
23  :  1,  5,  8,  1.5-17  ;  Jer.  25  :  22 ;  27  :  3  ;  47  :  4 ; 
Ezek.  26  :  2-15  ;  27  :  2-8,  32 ;  29  :  18  ;  Hos.  9  : 
13 ;  Joel  3:4;  Amos  1 :  9,  10 ;  Zech.  9  :  2,  3 ; 
comp.  Ps.  45 :  12 ;  83 :  7 ;  87  :  4.    The  proph- 


ULAI 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


uz 


ecies  were  notably  fulfilled.  Shalmaneser, 
king  of  Assyria,  besieged  Tyre  in  b.  c.  721. 
The  siege  lasted  for  live  years,  but  the  city 
was  not  taken.  Nebuchadnezzar  besieged 
it  for  13  years.  But  Tyre  came  under  the 
Persian  dominion  and  furnished  that  power 
with  a  large  fleet.  This  excited  the  hostil- 
ity of  Alexander  the  Great,  who  deter- 
m'ined  to  destroy  the  power  of  the  city. 
Not  being  able  to  reach  the  walls  with  his 
engines,  he  collected  together  all  the  re- 
f  mains  of  the  ancient  city  Palsetyrus— stones, 
timber,  rubbish— and  threw  them  into  the 
narrow  channel.  Thus  was  fultilled  ina  most 
remarkable  manner  the  prophecy  of  Eze- 
kiel.  26 :  3,  4,  12, 21.  After  a  siege  of  seven 
months  the  city  was  taken.  Some  8000 
men  were  slain  "in  the  massacre  which  fol- 
lowed ;  2000  were  crucified,  and  30,000  men, 
women,  and  children  were  sold  into  sla- 
very. The  city  was  also  set  on  fire  by  the 
victors.  Zech.  9:4;  Joel  3  : 7.  Insular  Tyre 
afterwards  came  under  the  Romans,  and 
for  ages  continued  a  flourishing  trading  citv. 
Matt.  11  :  21 ;  15  :  21 ;  Mark  3:8;  7  :  24 ; 
Luke  6  :  17  ;  10  :  13  ;  Acts  21  :  3.  It  fell 
finally  in  the  hands  of  the  Mohammedans, 
A.  D.  1291 ;  since  then  it  has  irrecoverably 
declined.  The  Hebrew  prophets  denounced 
fearful  judgments  against  Tyre  for  her  idol- 
atry and  wickedness.  Isa.  23 ;  Ezek.  26  : 7- 
21 ;  27 ;  28  : 1-19  ;  29  :  18.  And  how  truth- 
fully their  predictions  have  been  accom- 
pUshed  may  be  seen  in  the  existing  ruins 
scattered  along  the  shore,  and  the  number 
of  splendid  columns  lying  in  heaps  beneath 
the  waves.  This  ancient  city  has  indeed 
become  like  the  top  of  a  rocli,  "  a  place  to 
spread  nets  upon ! " 


u 


Ulai  {u'ldi  or  u'la-T),  strong  wafer?  A 
river  of  Susiana,  on  whose  banks  Daniel 
saw  his  vision  of  the  ram  and  he-goat.  Dan. 
8  :  2-16.  Recent  explorations  have  shown 
that  the  river  Choaspes  (Kerkhah)  divides 
about  20  miles  above  Susa.  The  eastern 
branch,  which  received  the  Shapur  and 
fell  into  the  Kuran,  was  probably  the  Ulai. 
This  bifurcation  of  the  stream  explains  the 
otherwise  difficult  passage,  "I  heard  a 
man's  voice  between  the  banks  of  Ulai," 
Dan.  8  :  W — that  is,  between  the  banks  of 
the  two  streams  of  that  divided  river. 

Unicorn,  recm,  or  high.  Num.  23  :  22,  A. 
v.,  but  R.  V.  reads  "  wild  ox."  The  word 
occurs  seven  times  in  the  Old  Testament. 
That  fabulous  creature  the  unicorn  certainly 
is  not  meant  by  the  Hebrew  reem.  Critics 
are  agreed  thafthe  passages  mentioning  it, 
correctly  understood,  require  an  animal 
with  t\vo  horns.  This  animal  was  distin- 
guished for  his  ferocitv,  Isa.  34  : 7,  strength, 
Num.  23  :  22 ;  24  :  8,  agility,  Ps.  29  :  6,  wild- 
ness,  .Tob  39  :  9,  as  well  as  for  being  horned, 
and  destroying  with  his  horns.  Dent.  33  : 
17;  Ps.  22:"  21.  For  various  reasons  this 
animal  could  not  liavebeen  the  rhinoceros. 
Probably  it  was  the  now  extinct  aurochs 
{ Bos primige^iius), along-horned  and  power- 
ful ox,  which  existed  in  the  forests  of  Europe 
210 


nearly,  or  quite,  until  the  Middle  Ages.  An 
allied  species  of  great  size  and  strength  is 
known  to  have  existed  in  Palestine,  as  the 
bison  {Bison  bonasus),  and  some  of  these, 
now  called  aurochs,  are  still  found  in  the 
forests  of  Lithuania. 

Ur,  light,  land  of  light?  Gen.  11  :  28,  31 ; 
15  : 7 ;  Neh.  9  : 7.  Some  have  identified  the 
city  Ur  with  Edessa,  the  modern  Orfah. 
Others  suppose  it  to  be  Warka.  But  late  ex- 
plorations identify  it  with  Mugheir,  where 
considerable  ruins  exist.  It  is  situated  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Euphrates  near  the 
marshes,  and  in  periods  of  inundation  the 
ruins  are  surrounded  by  -water.  They  are 
of  an  oval  shape,  and  measure  about  half  a 
mile  from  north  to  south.  The  temple 
ruins  are  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram  198 
by  133  feet.  The  lower  story  is  supported 
by  thick  buttresses;  and  the' height  of  the 
whole  is  70  feet.  The  exterior  is  faced 
with  red  kiln-baked  bricks ;  and  the  interior 
is  constructed  of  bricks  burnt  or  sun-dried. 
The  name  of  Urukh,  an  early  king,  2230  B. 
c,  has  been  found  upon  the  bricks;  and 
the  place  was  probably  the  capital  of  this 
monarch.  The  temple  was  dedicated  to 
the  moon-god  Hurki :  hence  perhaps  the 
town  derived  its  name. 

Uriah  (u-ri'ah),  2  Sam.  11  :  3,  or  Urias 
(u-rl'as),  Matt.  1  :  6.  A.  V.  A  Hittite  by  de- 
scent, but  probably  converted  lo  Judaism, 
com^mander  of  one  of  the  bands  of  David's 
army,  and  the  husband  of  Bathsheba.  His 
deat"h  was  purposely  brought  about  by  an 
understanding  between  Joab  and  David,  in 
order  that  David's  guilt  in  the  case  of  Bath- 
sheba might  be  concealed,  and  that  he 
might  obtain  her  for  his  wife. 

Urim  (ii'rivi),  and  Tliummim  (thiim'- 
mim),  light  and  'perfection.  Denote  some 
part  of  the  high  p"riest's  apparel.  When 
Aaron  was  arrayed,  Moses  himself  put  the 
Urim  and  Tliummim  into  the  breastplate. 
Ex.  28  :  13-30  ;  Lev.  8  : 8.  Nowhere  in  Scrip- 
ture are  the  Urim  and  Tliummim  described, 
and  we  do  not  know  what  they  really 
were. 

Usury,  by  modem  usage,  means  exorbi- 
tant or  unlawful  interest,  but  in  the  Scrip- 
tures it  means  simply  interest.  The  law 
of  Moses  proliibited  the  Jews  from  taking 
any  interest  of  each  other  for  the  loan  of 
money  or  of  anything  else,  though  they 
were  allowed  to  take  it  of  foreigners.  The 
exchangers  of  money  were  in  the  habit  of 
receiving  it  at  low  interest  and  loaning  it  at 
high  interest,  taking  the  difference  for  their 
gain.  Ezek.  22  :  12.  The  practice  of  usury  is 
severely  denounced  in  the  Scriptures.  Neh. 
5 :  7,  10 ";  Ps.  15:5;  Prov.  28  : 8. 

Uz  [iiz),  light  sandy  soil  f  1.  A  region  and 
tribe  in  the  northeastern  part  of  Arabia 
deserta,  between  the  Euphrates,  Palestine, 
and  Idumea,  probably  including  part  of 
Bashan;  called  by  Ptolemy  Ausitis.  Job 
was  an  inhabitant  of  "the  land  of  Cz." 
which  was  probably  an  extensive  district, 
and  subject  to  the  Edomites.  Job  1:1;  Jer. 
25  :  20 ;  Lam.  4  :  21.  2.  A  son  of  Aram.  Gen. 
10  :  23;  1  Chron.  1  :  17.  3.  The  son  of  Di- 
shan,  the  Horite.  Gen.  36  :  28  ;  1  Chron.  1 : 
42. 


UZZIAH 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


VULTURPJ 


Uzziah  [uz-zi'ah),  might  of  Jehovah.  1. 
The  son  and  successor  of  Amaziah,  king  of 
Judah  ;  called  Azanah  in  2  Kings  14  :  -Jl  and 
elsewhere  ;  began  to  reign  at  IG,  and  reigned 
52  years,  B.  c.  808-756.  His  career  was  most 
prosperous.  He  walked  in  the  ways  of  liis 
father  David,  and  as  a  consequence  was 
blessed  with  victory  over  his  enemies,  and 
great  i'ame  and  love.  But  he  was  pufied  up 
by  success  so  long  continued,  and  presumed 
to  burn  incense  on  the  altar  like  the  priests. 
Azanah,  the  high  priest,  and  ^O  others 
opposed  him ;  but  God  most  effectnaliy 
checked  him  by  making  him  a  leper,  dwell- 
ing in  a  separate  house  until  de^th.  2  Kings 
15  : 1-7  ;  2  Chron.  26.  A  great  earthquake  oc- 
curred in  his  reign.  Amos  1:1;  Zech.  14  : 
5.  There  are  five  persons  of  this  name 
mentioned  in  the  Bible. 


Tale,  Valley.  Five  Hebrew  words  are 
translated  "vale"  or  ''valle.v."  1.  Ernek, 
signifying  a  "deep"  broad  valley,  as  the 
valley  of  Achor,  Aijalon,  Elah,  Jezreel,  Suc- 
coth,  etc.  2.  Gai  or  ge,  signifying  a  "  burst- 
ing," and  used  to  designate  narrow  ravines 
or  glens,  as  of  Hinnom  or  Salt.  Deut.  34  : 6. 
2.  Nachal,  meaning  a ' '  wady-bed , "  11  lied  with 
water  in  winter,  but  dry  in  summer.  Such 
beds  or  valleys  were  Chereth,  Eshcol,  Sorek, 
Zered,  etc.  4.  Bik'ah.  properly  ■>  '•  cleft," 
but  applied  to  a  broader  space  than  a  cleft  or 
valley,  and  meaning  sometimes  a  "jjlain," 
as  that  between  Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon 
and  Megiddo,  Josh.  11  :  17 ;  13  :  17 ;  Zech. 
12  :  11.  5.  Has-Shephelah,  wrongly  rendered 
"  vale  "  in  A.  V.,  but  "  lowland  "  in  R.  V., 
meant  a  broad  tract  of  low  hills  between 
the  mountains  of  Judah  and  the  coast- 
plain.    Deut.  1:7;  Josh.  10  :  40. 

Vashti  {vdsh'ti),  beautiful.  The  deposed 
"  queen  "  of  Ahasuerus.    Esth.  1.  b.  c.  483. 

Vine.  The  first  mention  of  the  vine 
occurs  in  Gen.  9  :  20,  21.  It  was  cultivated 
in  Egypt.  Gen.  40  :  9-11 ;  Ps.  78  :  47.  The 
vines  of  Palestine  were  celebrated  both  for 
luxuriant  growth  and  for  the  immense 
clusters  of  grapes  which  they  produced, 
which  were  sometimes  carried  on  a  staff 
between  two  men,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
spies.  Num.  13  :  23.  Special  mention  is  made 
in  the  Bible  of  the  vines  of  Eshcol,  Num. 
13 :  24 ;  32 : 9,  of  Sibmah,  Heshbou,  and  Elea- 
leh,  Isa.  16  : 8,  9,  10 ;  Jer.  48  :  32,  and  of  En- 
gedi.  Song  of  Sol.  1 :  14.  To  dwell  under 
the  vine  and  fig  tree  is  an  emblem  of  do- 
mestic happiness  and  peace,  1  Kings  4  :  25  : 
Ps.  128  : 3  ;  Micah  4:4;  the  rebellious  people 
of  Israel  are  compared  to  "wild  grapes," 
"  an  empty  vine,"  "  the  degenerate  plant  of 
a  strange  vine,"  etc.  Isa.  5  :  2,  4  ;  Jer.  2  :  21 ; 
Hos.  10 : 1.  It  is  a  vine  which  our  Lord 
selects  to  show  the  spiritual  union  which 
subsists  between  himself  and  his  members. 
John  15  : 1-6.  The  vine  trailed  on  the 
ground  or  upon  supports.  This  latter  mode 
of  cultivation  appears  to  be  alluded  to  by 
Ezekiel.  Ezek.  19  :  11,  12.  The  vintage, 
which  formerly  wr.s  a  season  of  general 


festivity,  began  in  September.  The  towns 
were  deserted  ;  the  people  lived  among  the 
vinevards  in  the  lodges  and  tents.  Comp. 
Judg.  9  :  27  ;  Isa.  16  :  10  ;  Jer.  25  :  30.  The 
grapes  were  gathered  with  shouts  of  joy  by 
the  "grape  gatherers,"  Jer.  25  :  30,  and  put 
into  baskets.  See  Jer.  6  : 0.  They  were  then 
carried  on  the  head  and  shoulders,  or  slung 
upon  a  yoke,  to  the  "wine-press."  The 
vineyard,  which  was  »jenerally  on  a  hill, 
Isa.  5:1;  Jer.  31 :  o ;  ^'.^mos  9  :  13,  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  wall  or  hedge  in  order  to 
keep  out  the  wi  :d  boars,  Ps.  80  :  13,  jackals 
and  foxes.  Num.  22  :  24 ;  Neh.  4:3;  Song 
of  Sol.  2  :  15  ;  Ezek.  13  :  4.,  5  ;  Matt.  21  :  33. 
Within  the  vineyard  wf")  one  or  more  tow- 
ers of  ^tonc  in"  wliich  the  vine-dressers 
lived.  Isa.  1:3;  5:2;  Matt.  21  :  33.  The 
vat,  whjcji  was  dug,  Matt.  21 :  33,  or  hewn 
out  of  the  rocky  soil,  and  the  press,  were 
part  of  the  vineyard  furniture,    Isa.  5  : 2. 

Vine  of  Sodom.  Only  in  Deut.  32  :  32. 
Josephus  describes  fruits  growing  near  the 
Dead  Sea,  "which  indeed  resemble  edible 
fruit  in  color,  but  on  being  plucked  by  the 
hand  are  dissolved  into  smoke  and  ashes." 
These  are  the  apples  of  Sodom  of  which  the 
poets  sing,  and  which  are  supposed  to  be 
mentioned  in  the  above  passage.  If  we  are 
to  interpret  Deuteronomy  and  Josephus  lit- 
o-iUy,  tho  colocynth  seems  best  to  answer 
the  conditions. 

Viper.  This  word  in  the  Old  Testament 
possibly  designates  some  particular  species 
of  hissing  and  venomous  serpent,  but  its 
exact  application  cannot  be  determined. 
In  the  New  Testament  thr-  Greek  word  thus 
rendered  w:.  _  used  for  any  poisonous  snake. 
The  viper  which  fastened  on  Paul's  han4. 
Acts  28  :  l=e,.  was  doubtless  the  snake  of  that 
name,  Vipcrc  aspis,  still  common  in  the 
Mediterranean  islands.  It  has  now  disap- 
peared from  .  lalta  with  the  woods  to  which 
it  is  partial.  The  viper  is  an  emblem  of 
whatever  is  deceitful  and  destructive.  Matt. 
2:7;  12:34;  23:33;  Luke  3  :  7. 

Vulture.  In  Lev.  11  :  14,  Deut.  14  :  13. 
Isa.  34  :  15,  in  place  of  this  word,  we  should 
probably  read  "  black  kite,"  Milvus  migrans. 
This  is  a  bird  which,  except  in  the  winter 
months,  collects  in  Palestine  in  great  num- 
bers and  is  very  sociable  in  its  habits,  ac- 
cording to  the  reference  in  Isaiah.  Another 
Hebrew  word  rendered  "vulture,"  R.  V. 
"  falcon."  in  Job  28  :  7,  is  elsewhere  correctly 
rendered  kite.  It  is  a  striking  instance  of 
the  accuracy  of  the  Scripture  writers  that, 
while  the  peculiar  faculty  for  discovering 
theu'  food  which  carrion-devourers  possess 
is  popularly  attributed  to  the  sense  of  smell, 
the  Bible  rightly  attributes  it  to  sight.  In 
the  book  of  Job  the  characteristic  of  the 
eagle  is  that  "her  eyes  behold  afar  off." 
Job  28  : 7  refers  to  the  same  peculiarity, 
"  There  is  a  path  which  the  vulture's  eye 
hath  not  seen,"  implying  that  its  vision  is 
most  acute  and  penetrating.  It  is  well 
proved  that  birds  of  prey  discern  their 
booty  at  vast  distances,  that  the  eager  flight 
of  one  is  observed  and  followed  by  another, 
and  so  on,  till  many  are  gathered  together 
wheresoever  the  carcase  is. 

211 


WAR 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


WEAVING 


w 

"War.  The  anfient  battles  were  trul.v 
murderous.  Scarcely  ever  was  any  quar- 
ter given,  except  where  the  vanquished 
were  retained  as  slaves.  2  Chron.  13  : 
17.  Enemies  were  then,  as  now,  sur- 
prised and  overcome  by  unexpected  di- 
visions of  the  forces,  by  ambushes,  and 
bv  false  retreats.  Gen.  14  :  15  ;  Josh.  8  : 
12;  Judg.  20:36-39;  2  Kings  7:12.  In 
lack  of  artillery,  unwieldy  machines  for 
casting  heavy  stones  and  other  destructive 
missiles  were"  invented.  Uzziah  "  made  in 
Jerusalem  engines  invented  by  cunning 
men,  to  be  on  the  towers  and  upon  the  bul- 
warks, to  shoot  arrows  and  great  stones 
withal."  2  Chron.  26  :  15.  There  was  no 
part  of  the  ancient  military  preparations 
more  terrible  than  chariots.  Ex.  14  :  7 ; 
Deut.  20  :  1 ;  Josh.  17  :  16 ;  Judg.  4  :  3.  They 
were  in  common  use  wherever  there  was 
anv  cavalry.  2  Sam.  10:18;  1  Chron.  18: 
4 ;  2  Chron.  12  :  3  ;  14  :  9.  Walls  and  towers 
were  used  in  fortiiications,  and  the  latter 
were  guarded  by  soldiei-s,  and  are  callea 
"garrisons."  2  Sam.  8:  C:  Ezek.  26:11. 
Various  passages  lead  to  the  opinion  that 
divisions  of  the  army  were  common,  as  in 
modern  times.  Gen.'  14:15;  Judg.  7:16; 
1  Sam.  11 :  11.  The  most  frequent  division 
of  the  host  was  into  tens,  hundreds,  and 
thousands,  and  each  of  these  had  its  com- 
mander or  captain.  Judg.  20  :  10  ;  1  Sam. 
8  :  12 ;  2  Kings  11  :  4.  Among  the  Hebrews 
these  divisions  had  some  reference  to  the 
several  families,  and  were  under  the  heads 
of  families  as  their  officers.  2  Chron.  25 : 
5:  26  :  12.  The  captains  of  hundreds  and 
of  thousands  were  of  high  rank,  or,  so  to 
speak,  staif  ofhcer';,  who  were  admitted  to 
share  in  the  councils  of  war.  1  Chron.  13  : 
1.  The  whole  army  had  its  commander-in- 
chief  or  captain,  who  was  over  the  host, 
and  its  scribe  or  keeper  of  the  muster-roll. 
1  Kings  4  :  4  ;  1  Chron.  18  :  15,  16  ;  27  :  32- 
34 :  2  Chron.  17  :  14  ;  26  :  11.  In  Isa.  33  :  18 
the  words  translated  "  he  that  counted  the 
towers"  probably  indicate  what  we  should 
call  a  chief  engineer.  Under  David  the 
army  of  288,000  men  was  divided  into 
twelve  corps,  each  of  which  was  conse- 
quently 24,000  strong  and  had  its  own  gen- 
eral, i  Chron.  27.  Under  Jehoshaphat  this 
was  altered,  and  there  were  five  unequal 
corps,  under  as  many  commanders.  2 
Chron.  17  :  14-19.  The  cohort  had  500  or 
600  men,  and  the  legion  embraced  ten  co- 
horts. The  hght  troops  were  provided  with 
arms  which  they  used  at  some  distance 
from,  the  enemy,  such  as  bows  and  arrows. 
They  are  designated  in  2  Chron.  14:8; 
while  the  heavy-armed  were  .those  who 
bore  shield  and  spear.  1  Chron.  12  :  24. 
The  light  troops  of  the  army  of  Asa  were 
taken  principally  from  the  tribe  of  Benja- 
min because  of  their  extraordinary  accu- 
racy of  aim.  Judg.  20  :  16.  See  Arms, 
Armor.  The  troops  were  excited  to  ardor 
and  braverj'^  by  addresses  from  their  priests, 
who  were  commanded  to  appeal  to  them. 
Deut.  20  : 2.  In  later  times  kings  them- 
212 


selves  were  accustomed  to  harangue  their 
armies.  2  Chron.  13  :  4.  Finally,  perhaps, 
after  the  sacrifices  had  been  offered,  the 
summons  was  given  by  the  holy  trumpets. 
Num.  10 :  9,  10  ;  2  Chron.  13  :  12-14.  It  was 
the  practice  of  the  Greeks,  when  they  were 
within  half  a  mile  of  the  enemy,  to  sing 
their  war  song.  A  similar  custom  probably 
prevailed  among  the  Jews.  2  Chron.  20 : 
21.  Next  followed  the  shout,  or  war  cry, 
which  the  Romans  accompanied  with  the 
noise  of  shields  and  spears  struck  violently 
together.  This  war  cry  was  common  in 
the  East,  as  it  is  to  tliis  day  among  the 
Turks.  It  w  as  the  "  alarm  "  or  "  shout "  so 
often  mentfoned  in  Scripture.  1  Sam.  17  : 
52 ;  2  Chron.  13  :  15 ;  Job  39  :  25  ;  Jer.  4  :  19. 

Ward.  A  prison,  or  an  apartment  of  it. 
Gen.  40  :  3 ;  Acts  12 :  10.  Also  a  garrison  or 
military  post,  Neb.  12  :  25,  or  a  class  or  de- 
tachme'nt  of  persons  for  any  particular  ser- 
vice.   1  Chron.  9  :  23 ;  25 :  8  ;  Neh.  13  :  30. 

Washing  of  the  Hands  and  Feet. 
This  was  rendered  necessary  by  oriental 
costoms  and  climate.  The  hands  should  be 
clean,  for  all  persons  at  table  put  their  fin- 
gers into  the  same  dish.  The  feet  should 
be  washed  because  the  sandals  afforded 
little  protection  against  soil ;  and  besides, 
the  feet  would  be  hot.  The  words  of  Christ 
against  the  handwashings  of  the  Pharisees 
was  directed  against  it  as  a  religious  obser- 
vance. Mark  7:3;  Matt.  15  ;  2  ;  Luke  11 : 
38.  The  washing  by  the  host  of  the  feet  of 
the  guest  was  a  mark  of  respect,  1  Sam.  25  : 
41  ;  Luke  7  :  38,  44  ;  John  13  :  5-14  :  but 
usually  water  was  provided  and  the  guests 
washed  their  own  feet,  or  had  them  washed 
by  servants.    Gen.  18  :  4  ;  Judg.  19  :  21. 

Watches  of  the  Night.  The  original 
division  of  the  night  was  into  three  watches 
— "  the  beginning  of  the  Avatches,"  from  sun- 
set to  10  o'clock.  Lam.  2  :  19 ;  "  the  middle 
watch,"  from  10  to  2  o'clock,  Judg.  7  :  19  ; 
and  "  the  morning  watch,"  from  2  o'clock 
to  sunrise,  Ex.  14  :  24 ;  1  Sam.  11 :  11— but 
after  the  captivity  the  Jews  adopted  the 
custom  of  Rome  and  Greece,  which  divided 
the  twelve  hours  of  the  night  into  four 
watches,  beginning  with  6  in  the  afternoon 
—  "even,"  from  '6  to  9  o'clock;  "mid- 
night," from  9  to  12;  "  cock -crowing," 
from  12  to  3 ;  and  "  morning,"  from  3  to  6. 
JNIatt.  14  :  25 ;  Mark  13  :  :35  ;  Luke  12 :  38. 

Weasel  (choled)  occurs  only  in  Lev.  11 : 
29,  in  the  hst  of  unclean  animals ;  but  the 
Hebrew  word  ought  more  probaljly  to  be 
translated  "mole."  Moles  are  common  in 
Palestine. 

Weaving.  The  art  of  weaving  was  prac- 
tised with  great  skill  by  the  EgyptiarLS  at  a 
very  early  period.  The  "vestures  of  fine 
hnen"  such  as  Joseph  wore.  Gen.  41:42, 
were  the  product  of  Egyptian  looms.  The 
Israelites  attained  a  proliciency  which  en- 
abled them  to  execute  the  hangings  of  the 
tabernacle,  Ex.  35  :  35 ;  1  Chron.  4  :  21,  and 
other  artistic  textures.  The  textures  pro- 
duced by  the  Jewish  weavers  were  very 
various.  The  coarser  kinds,  such  as  tent- 
cloth,  sack-cloth,  and  the  "  hairy  garments 
of  the  poor,"  were  made  of  goat's  or  camel's 
hair.  Ex.  26  :  7  ;  Matt.  3 : 4.  Wool  was  exten- 


WEDDING 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


WINE 


sivelv  used  for  ordinary  clothing.  Lev.  13 : 
47 ;  Prov.  27  :  26  ;  31  :  13 ;  Ezeli:.  27  :  18 ; 
while  for  finer  work  flax  was  used,  varying 
in  quality,  and  producing  the  ditt'ereut 
textures  described  in  the  Bible  as  "  linen  " 
and  "fine  linen."  The  mixture  of  wool 
and  flax  in  cloth  intended  for  a  garment 
was  forbidden.    Lev.  19  :  19 ;  Deut.  22 :  11. 

Wedding.  Matt.  22  :  3,  A.  V.  See 
3Iarriage. 

Week.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about 
the  great  antiquity  of  measuring  time  by  a 
period  of  seven  days.  Gen.  S  :  10  ;  29  :  27. 
The  origin  of  this  division  of  time  has  given 
birth  to  much  speculation.  The  week  and 
the  Sabbath  are  as  old  as  man  himself. 
They  who  embrace  this  viev/  support  it  by 
a  reference  to  the  six  days'  creation  and 
the  divine  rest  on  the  seventh.  Whether 
the  week  gave  its  sacredness  to  the  num- 
ber seven,  or  whether  the  ascendency  of 
that  number  helped  to  determine  the  di- 
mensions of  the  week,  it  is  impossible  to 
say.  The  weekly  division  was  adopted  by 
the  Semitic  races,  and,  in  the  later  period 
of  their  history  at  least,  by  the  Egyptians. 
So  far  from  the  week  being  a  division  of 
time  without  ground  in  nature,  there  was 
much  to  recommend  its  adoption.  It  is 
clear  that  if  not  in  Paul's  time,  yet  very 
50on  after,  the  Pvoman  world  had  adopted 
the  hebdomadal  division. 

Weeks,  Feast  of.  Ex.  34 :  22.  Pente- 
cost. 

Wells  were  necessary  in  a  dry  and  hot 
country  like  Palestihe.  They  were  deep, 
John  4 :  11,  and  difficult  both  to  dig  and 
preserve,  and  hence  were  a  valuable  part 
of  the  husbandman's  property.  Num.  20 : 
17-19.  They  were  sometimes  owned  in 
common.  Gen.  29  :  2,  3.  To  protect  them 
from  the  sand  and  from  being  used  by  oth- 
ers, they  were  covered,  usually  with  a  stone, 
and  surrounded  \vith  a  low  wall.  Gen.  29 : 
2,  8.  To  stop  them  up  was,  and  still  is,  re- 
garded as  an  act  of  hostility.  Gen.  26 :  15, 
and  to  invade  the  right  of  property  in  them 
was  often  the  cause  of  sharp  contention. 
Gen.  21  :  25.  The  water  Vvas  generally 
drawn  by  pitchers  and  a  rope.  The  well 
naturally  became  the  halting-place  of  the 
traveller,  Gen.  24  :  11 ;  the  camping-place 
of  armies,  Judg.  7 : 1,  etc. ;  and  it  furnished 
an  appropriate  emblem  of  rich  blessings. 
Jer.  2 :  13 ;  17  :  13. 

Whale.  The  Greek  v/ord  translated 
"whale"  in  Matt.  12:40,  A.  V.,  means  a 
large  fish,  or  a  sea  monster.  So,  also,  iu 
Gen.  1 :  21  the  word  is  generic.  The  orig- 
inal word  representing  "whale"  is  often 
translated  "dragon"  or  "  leviathan,"  and 
according  to  the  derivation  of  the  Hebrew, 
the  word  denotes  a  creature  of  great  length, 
without  being  restricted  to  marine  animals. 
Neither  the  Old  Testament  nor  the  New 
Testament,  when  correctly  rendered,  affirms 
that  it  was  a  whale  which  swallowed  Jo- 
nai,  but  "  a  great  fish."  Jonah  1:17;  Matt. 
12 :  40.  The  R.  V.  reads  the  same  as  the  A. 
v.,  but  in  the  margin  reads,  "Greek,  sea 
monster."  The  creature  referred  to  is  very 
likely  to  have  been  the  white  shark,  which 
Is  abundantly  capable  of  such  a  feat.  The 
U 


whale  is,  however,  occasionally  found  in 
the  Mediterranean  Sea.    See  Jonah. 

WJieat.  In  Palestine  this  most  impor- 
tant of  all  grains  was  sown  after  barley- 
late  in  the  fall.  It  was  not  only  scattered 
broadcast  and  then  ploughed,  'harrowed, 
or  trodden  in,  Isa.  32  :  20,  but  it  seems,  ac- 
cording to  the  Hebrew  of  Isa.  28:25,  to 
have  been  planted  in  rows  or  driUs,  as  it 
certainly  often  is  at  present  in  Syria.  Wheat 
is  still  produced  for  export  east  of  the  Joi- 
dan.  Ezek.  27  :  17 ;  Deut.  8:8.  In  the  days 
of  Jacob  this  grain  was  already  so  much 
cultivated  in  Mesopotamia  that  "wheat 
har^'est"  denoted  a  well-known  season. 
Gen.  30  :  14.  The  many-eared  variety,  or 
mummy  wheat,  is  referred  to  in  Pharaoh's 
dream. '  Gen.  41 :  22.  In  the  A.  V.  and  R. 
V.  this  grain  is  often  mentioned  under  the 
general  name  of  "  corn." 

Wilderness,  The,  in  which  the  Israel- 
ites spent  40  years,  between  Egj^pt  and  Ca- 
naan, is  called  sometimes  the ""  great  and 
terrible  wilderness"  bv  way  of  eminence. 
Deut.  1:1;  8:2;  Josh.'5 :  6  :  Neh.  9 :  19,  21 ; 
Ps.  78  :  40,  52 ;  107  :  4  ;  Jer.  2  :  2.  In  general 
it  may  be  identified  with  the  peninsula  of 
Sinai,  the  triangular  region  between  the 
Gulf  of  Akabah,  on  the  east,  and  the  Gulf 
of  Suez  and  Egypt  on  the  west.  See  Sinai. 
In  this  region  there  are  several  smaller  wil- 
dernesses, as  Etham,  Paran,  Shur,  Zin. 
What  is  known  distinctively  as  the  "  wilder- 
ness of  the  Wandering"  is  the  great  central 
limestone  plateau  between  the  granite  re- 
gion of  Sinai  on  the  south,  the  sandy  desert 
on  the  north,  and  the  valley  of  the  Arabah 
on  the  east.  The  explorations  of  travellers 
and  the  British  Ordnance  Survev  have 
made  this  region  quite  well  known.  The 
route  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  to  Ka- 
desh  can  be  traced  with  reasonable  accu- 
racy. Instead  of  entering  the  Promised 
Land  immediately  from  Kadesh,  they  were 
driven  back  into  the  wilderness  for  their 
disobedience,  and  there  wandered  for  40 
years.  They  probably  lived  a  nomad  life  as 
do  the  Bedouin  Arabs  of  the  present  day. 

^V  i  n  e  .  Gen.  9  :  20,  21.  In  the  Bible, 
wine  is  spoken  of  as  a  blessing  to  a  countrv. 
Gen.  27  :  28,  37 ;  Deut.  7  :  13  ;  33 :  28  ;  Hosea 
2 :  8,  22.  Our  Saviour  turned  water  into 
wine  at  a  marriage  feast,  and  directed  it  to 
be  used  in  celebrating  the  Lord's  supper. 
John  2  :  7-10 ;  Matt.  26  :  27-29.  The  Bible 
represents  wine  as  having  intoxicating 
qualities,  and  it  has  many  warnings  in 
regard  to  its  use.  Noah  was  made  drunk 
by  it,  and  so  was  Lot.  Gen.  9  :  26;  19  :  32- 
35.  The  ruler  of  the  wedding  feast  where 
Jesus  turned  water  into  wine  alluded  to  the 
intoxicating  nature  of  wine.  John  2  ;  10. 
Drunkenness  is  condemned  as  a  sin.  1  Cor. 
5  :  11 :  6:10.  The  common  wine  required 
to  be  "refined"  or  strained  previous  to  be- 
ing brought  to  the  table.  Isa.  25  :  6.  Wine 
was  also  made  from  pomegranate  as  w  ell 
as  grape.  Song  of  Sol.  8:2.  In  Palestine 
the  vintage  comes  in  September,  and  is 
celebrated  with  great  rejoicings.  "The  ripe 
fruit  is  gathered  in  baskets,  Jer.  6:9.  and 
carried  to  the  wine-press.  It  is  then  placed 
in  the  upper  one  of  the  two  vats  or  recep- 
213 


WI2sE-I'RESS 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


^^•ORD 


tacles  of  the  wine-press  and  is  subjected  to 
"  treading,"  which  has  prevailed  in  all  ages 
in  oriental  and  south-European  countries. 
Neh.  13  :  15 ;  Job  24  :  11 ;  isa.  16 :  10 ;  Jer.  25 : 
30  :  48 :  33 ;  Amos  9  :  13 ;  Rev.  19  :  15.  A  cer- 
tain amount  of  juice  exuded  from  the  ripe 
fruit  from  its  own  pressure  before  the  tread- 
ing commenced.  Tiiis  appears  to  have 
been  kept  separate  from  the  rest  of  the 
juice,  and  to  have  formed  the  '•  new  "  or 
"sweet  wine"  noticed  in  Acts  2  :  13.  The 
"  treading  "  was  by  men.  They  encouraged 
one  another  by  shouts.  Isa.  16 : 9,  10 ;  Jer. 
25  :  30 ;  48  :  33.  Their  legs  and  garments 
were  dyed  red  with  the  juice.  Gen.  49  :  11  ; 
Isa.  63  : 2,  3.  The  juice  ran  by  an  aperture 
into  the  lower  vat,  or  was  at  once  collected 
in  vessels.  Wine  is  said  to  produce  different 
effects:  as  the  "darkly  flashing"  or  "red 
eye,"  Gen.  49:12,  a  mocker,  Prov.  20:1, 
the  unbridled  tongue,  Isa.  28  : 7,  the  excite- 
ment of  the  spirit,  Prov.  31 :  6 ;  Isa.  5  :  11 ; 
Zech.  9  :  15  ;  10 :  7,  the  enchained  affections 
of  its  votaries,  Hos.  4  :  11,  the  perverted 
judgment,  Prov.  31  :  5 ;  Isa.  28  :  7,  the  in- 
decent exposure,  Hab.  2  :  15,  16,  and  the 
sickness  resulting  from  the  heat  {chemcih, 
A.  v.,  "bottles")  of  wine.  Hos.  7  :  5.  The 
allusions  to  the  effects  of  Urosh  are  confined 
to  a  single  passage,  but  this  a  most  decisive 
one,  viz.,  Hos.  4  :  11,  "  Whoredom  and  wine 
{yayin)  and  new  wine  {tirOsh)  take  away  the 
heart,"  where  ttrosh  appears  as  the  climax 
of.engrossing  influences,  in  immediate  con- 
nection with  yayin.  It  has  been  disputed 
whether  the  Hebrew  wine  was  fermented  ; 
but  the  impression  produced  by  a  general 
review  of  the  above  notices  is  that  the  He- 
brew words  indicatingwine  refer  to  ferment- 
ed, intoxicating  wine.  Mingled  liquor  was 
prepared  for  high  festivals,  Prov.  9  :  2,  5, 
and  occasions  of  excess.  Prov,  23  :  30 ;  Isa. 
5:22.  The  wine  "mingled  with  myrrh," 
given  to  Jesus,  was  designed  to  deaden 
pain,  Mark  15  :  23,  and  the  spiced  pome- 
granate wine  prepared  by  the  bride,  Song 
of  Sol.  8  : 2,  may  well  have  been  of  a  mild 
character.  In  the  New  Testament  the 
"new"  or  "sweet  wine,"  noticed  in  Acts 
2 :  13,  could  not  be  new  wine  in  the  proper 
sense  of  the  term,  inasmuch  as  about  eight 
months  must  have  elapsed  between  the 
vintage  and  the  feast  of  Pentecost.  It  had 
also  the  power  to  make  persons  drunk,  at 
least  in  public  estimation.  The  only  wines 
of  which  we  have  special  notice  belonged 
to  Syria ;  these  were  the  wine  of  Helbon, 
Ezek.  27  :  18,  and  the  wine  of  Lebanon, 
famed  for  its  aroma.  Hos.  14  : 7.  Wine  v/as 
produced  on  occasions  of  ordinary  hospi- 
tality, Gen.  14 :  18,  and  at  festivals,  such  as 
marriages.  John  2  :  3.  Under  the  Mosaic 
law  wine  formed  the  usual  drink  offering 
that  accompanied  the  dailv  sacrifice,  Ex. 
29:40,  the  presentation  of  "the  first-fruits, 
Lev.  23  :13.  and  other  offerings.  Num.  15  :5. 
Tithe  was  to  be  paid  of  wine,  as  of  other 
products.  The  priest  was  also  to  receive 
firet-fruits  of  wine,  as  of  other  articles. 
Deut.  18  : 4 ;  comp.  Ex.  22  :  29.  The  use  of 
wine  at  the  paschal  feast  was  not  enjoined 
by  the  law,  but  became  an  established  cus- 
tom, in  the  post-Babylonian  period.  Some 
214 


Biblical  scholars  hold  that  the  Bible  men- 
tions two  kinds  of  wine,  one  unfermented 
and  one  fermented  and  intoxicating. 

Wine-press.  Num.  18  :  27  ;  Deut.  15  :  14  ; 
Judg.  7  :  25 ;  Hos.  9 : 2.  The  wine-presses  of 
the  Jews  consisted  of  two  receptacles  or 
vats  placed  at  different  elevations,  in  the 
upper  one  of  which  the  grapes  were  trod- 
den, Isa.  63  :  3  ;  Lam.  1  ;  15  ;  Job  24  :  11, 
while  the  lower  one  received  the  expressed 
juice.  The  two  vats  are  mentioned  to- 
gether only  in  Joei  3  :  13  :  "  The  press  is 
full:  the  fats  overflow  "—the  upper  vat 
being  full  of  fruit,  the  lower  one  overflow- 
ing with  the  must.  The  two  vats  were  usu- 
ally hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock.  Isa.  5  :  2, 
margin  ;  Matt.  21 :  33.  Ancient  wine-presses, 
so  constructed,  are  still  to  be  seen  in  Pales- 
tine. 

Winter.  In  Palestine,  part  of  autumn 
and  the  seasons  of  seed-time  and  cold,  ex- 
tending from  the  beginning  of  September 
to  the  beginning  of  March,  were  called 
"  winter."  Gen.  8  :  22 :  Ps.  74  :  17 ;  Zech.  14  : 
8 ;  Jer.  36  :  22.  The  cold  of  winter  is  not 
usually  ver>'  severe,  though  the  north 
winds,  from  the  middle  of  December  to  the 
middle  of  February,  are  sharp.  Snow  falls 
more  or  less,  but  seldom  lies  upon  the 
ground  except  in  the  mountains.  Ps.  147  : 
17.  In  shady  places  the  ice  will  occasion- 
ally bear  a  man's  weight,  but  thaws  as  soon 
as  the  sun  rises  upon  it.  In  the  early  part 
of  April  the  spring  mav  be  said  to  have 
arrived.  Song  of  Sol.  2  :  11. 

Witch  and  Wizard.  Exod.  22  :  18,  in 
the  R.  v.,  "  sorceress."  Lev.  19  :  31 ;  20  :  6, 
27 ;  Deut.  18  :  11 ;  1  Sam.  28 : 3,  9 ;  2  Kings  23 : 
24  ;  2  Chron.  33  :  6 ;  Isa.  8  :  19 ;  19  :  3.  The 
witch  of  Endor  was  widely  known  as  "  one 
that  had  a  familiar  spirit,"  and  was  thereby 
professedly  able  to  consult  souls  from  the 
spirit  world.  Witchcraft  was  therefore  a 
pretended  converse  with  demons  and  the 
spirits  of  the  departed.  To  this  the  ancient 
witches  joined  the  arts  of  fortinie-telling 
and  divining.  Their  unlawful  arts  were 
akin  to  the  others  forbidden  in  Deut.  18  :  10, 
11:  "There  shall  not  be  found  among  you 
any  one  that  maketh  his  son  or  his  daugh- 
ter to  pass  through  the  fire,  or  that  useth 
divination,  or  an  observer  of  times  or  an 
enchanter  or  a  witch  [R.  V.  "sorcerer"!  or 
a  charmer  or  a  consulter  with  familiar 
spirits  or  a  wizard  or  a  necromancer."  Super- 
stition was  prevalent  in  the  East  in  the  days 
of  Moses,  and  continues  to  be  so  now. 

"Wolf.  The  Hebrew  zeeb,  "wolf,"  was  so 
called  from  its  tawny  color.  It  is  the  com- 
mon Canis  lupus,  still  found  in  some  parts 
of  Palestine.  Isa.  11:6;  65  :  25 ;  Jer.  5:6; 
Hab.  1:8.  It  is  of  an  unsated  appetite ; 
and  often  indiscriminately  killing  sheep 
and  goats,  apparently  rather  to  satisfy  its 
fierce  nature  than  its  hunger.  Zeph.  3:3; 
Matt.  7  :  15 ;  John  10  :  12.  Persecutors  are 
compared  to  wolves.  Matt.  10  :16;  Acts 
20  :  29.  The  peaceful  reign  of  the  Messiah 
is  spoken  of  under  the  metaphor  of  the 
wolf  dwelling  with  the  lamb.  Isa.  11 :  6 ; 
65 :  25. 

Word  (logos),  The,  is  one  of  the  titles  of 
Jesus  Christ.    The  term  occurs  only  in  the 


WORLD 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


YEAB 


writings  of  John.  John  1 : 1-14 ;  1  John  1 : 
1 ;  Rev.  19  :  1?>. 

World.  This  word  in  the  A.  V.  is  the 
translation  of  live  Hebrew  and  four  Greek 
words.  It  is  therefore  not  always  plain  in 
what  sense  it  is  used.  The  Hebrew  terms 
have  these  literal  meanings  :  "  The  earth," 
"  rest,"  "  the  grave,"  Isa.  38  :  11 ;  "  the 
world,"  corresponding  to  aion  in  the  New 
Testament,  or  that  which  is  finite,  tempo- 
rary, Job  11:17;  "the  veiled,"  unlimited 
time,  whether  past  or  future ;  used  very 
frequentlv,  and  generally  translated  "  for- 
ever ; "  and,  finally,  the  poetical  term  for 
*'  world,"  which  occurs  some  37  times,  but 
in  various  meanings  which  are  easily  un- 
derstood. When  the  Hebrews  desired  to 
express  the  universe  they  employed  a 
phrase  like  "heaven  and  earth  and  the 
sea,  and  all  that  in  them  is."  Ex.  20 :  11. 
In  the  New  Testament  the  Greek  words 
are  equally  diverse:  1.  Aion,  "duration," 
thus  used  of  time  past,  Luke  1 :  70,  of  time 
present,  with  the  idea  of  evil,  both  moral 
and  physical.  Mark  4:19.  Hence  "chil- 
dren of  this  world,"  or  worldly  men,  Luke 
16:8;  and  so  Satan  is  called""  the  god  of 
this  world."  2  Cor.  4:4.  Aion  is  also  put 
for  endless  duration,  eternity,  1  Tim.  6  :  15, 
to  signifv  the  material  world  as  created  by 
the  deity,  Heb.  11  : :] ;  also  the  world  to 
come,  the  kingdom  of  the  Messiah.  2.  Ge, 
tlie  earth,  in  contrast  to  the  heavens.  Rev. 
l;> :  3.  3.  Kosmos,  used  in  several  senses : 
(a)  the  universe,  the  heavens,  and  the 
earth,  Matt.  13:  35,  and  thence  for  the  in- 
habitants of  the  universe,  1  Cor.  4:9,  and 
an  aggregate.  Jas.  3  :  6.  (5)  This  lower 
world  as  the  abode  of  man,  John  16  :  18  ; 
the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  or  mankind. 
Matt.  5 :  14.  (e)  The  present  world,  as  op- 
posed to  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  John  12  : 
25 ;  specifically,  the  wealth  and  enjoyments 
and  cares  of  this  world.  Matt.  16  :  26,  and 
so  for  those  who  seek  the  opposite  things 
to  the  kingdom  of  God,  the  worldlings. 
John  15  :  19.  4.  Oihmmene,  the  inhabited 
earth.  Matt.  24 :  14,  the  people  of  it.  Acts 
17  :  31,  sometimes  the  Roman  empire,  the 
then  civilized  world.  Acts  17  :  6,  including 
Palestine  and  adjacent  parts.  Luke  2:1; 
Acts  11  :  28.  The  Jews  distinguished  two 
worlds,  or  seons,  the  present  seon  to  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  Messiah,  and  the  future 
a^on,  or  the  Messianic  era,  which  is  to  last 
forever.  The  closing  days  of  the  present 
order  of  things  were  called  "  the  last  days." 
Isa.  2:2;  Micah  4:1;  Acts  2  :  17.  The  same 
pliraseology  is  found  in  the  New  Testament, 
but  the  dividing-line  is  marked  by  the  sec- 
ond instead  of  the  first  advent  of  the  Mes- 
siali.  Matt.  12 :  32  ;  1  Cor.  10 :  11 ;  Gal.  4:3; 
Heb.  1 : 2  ;  6  :  5 ;  9 :  26. 

Wormwood.  At  least  five  species  of 
this  plant  {Artemisia)  are  found  in  the  Holy 
Land,  and  are  distinguished  for  intense 
bitterness.  Hence  this  word  is  often  joined 
with  or  used  in  the  same  sense  as  "gall" 
and  "  hemlock,"  to  denote  what  is  offensive 
and  nauseous.  Deut.  29:18;  Prov.  5:4; 
Amos  5 ;  7 ;  6  :  12.  To  be  obliged  to  use  it 
as  food  expresses  the  extreme  of  sutfering. 
Jer.  9  :  15 ;  23  :  15 ;  Lam.  3  :  15,  19. 


Writing  is  either  ideographic  or  pho- 
netic. In  ideographic  writing  the  signs  used 
represent  the  ideas  themselves,  either  pic- 
torially  by  direct  imitation  of  the  object, 
or  synibolically,  as  when  the  picture  of  an 
eye  is  used  to  convey  the  idea  of  sight  or 
knowledge,  and  the  picture  of  a  lion  the 
idea  of  courage.  In  phonetic  writing  the 
signs  simply  represent  the  sounds  of  which 
a  word  is  compo.sed.  Ideogra})hic  writing 
—that  is,  writing  by  pictures  or  in  hiero- 
glyphics—is an  art"  of  very  ancient  date. 
Tlirough  all  the  Mosaic  history  books  and 
writing  are  mentioned  as  in  familiar  use. 
Ex.  17  :  14 ;  2  Sam.  11 :  14 ;  1  Knigs  21 :  8,  9, 
11 ;  2  Kings  10  : 1,  2,  6,  7.  The  alphabet 
which  the  Jews  used  was  based  upon  the 
Plicenician,  and  that  upon  some  earlier 
alphabet,  and  underwent  various  changes. 
The  materials  used  in  writing  were  tablets 
of  stone.  Ex.  31 :  18 ;  32  :  15,  16,  19 ;  34 :  1, 
4,  28,  2 J,  or  boxwood  and  brass,  or  plaster, 
Deut.  27  :  2,  3 ;  Josh.  8  :  ;?2,  or  skin,  which 
was  made  into  the  finest  parchment  or  vel- 
lum. For  hard  materials  an  iron  stylus  or 
engraver's  tool  was  used,  Job  19 :  24  ;  Ps.  45 : 
1 ;  Isa.  8:1;  Jer.  8:8;  17  :  1,  but  for  parch- 
ment a  reed  pen  and  ink.  2  Cor.  3:3;  2 
John  12 ;  3  John  1:5.  The  parchment  was 
not  put  in  leaves,  forming  a  book,  but  put 
together  in  long  rolls.  The  practice  of  em- 
ploying an  amanuensis  was  quite  com- 
mon in  ancient  days  as  it  is  now.  Hence 
Paul  gives  as  an  authentication  of  his  let- 
ters a  "few  words  written  with  his  own  hand. 
1  Cor.  16  :  21 ;  Col.  4  :  18  :  2  Thess.  3  :  17. 
This  fact  also  explains  Rom.  16  :  22.  The 
size  of  the  apostle's  writing  is  indicated. 
Gal.  6 :  11.  The  ink  of  the  ancients  was 
made  of  pulverized  charcoal  or  the  black 
of  burnt  ivory  and  water,  with  the  addition 
of  some  kind  of  gum.  The  ink  of  the  East 
at  the  present  day  is  a  much  thicker  sub- 
stance than  ours,  but  is  not  permanent ; 
a  wet  sponge  will  obliterate  the  finest  of 
their  writing.  The  inkhorn  was,  and  is,  a 
long  tube  containing  the  reed  pens,  with  a 
little  case  fastened  at  the  side  to  hold  the 
ink.    The  whole  is  thrust  into  the  girdle. 


Yarn.  1  Kings  10:28;  2  Chron.  1:16, 
A.  V.  The  Hebrew  received  text  is  ob- 
scure. The  R.  V.  reads,  "  And  the  king's 
merchants  received  them  [the  horses]  in 
droves,  each  drove  at  a  price." 

Year.  The  Jewish  year  had  two  com- 
mencements. The  religious  year  began 
with  the  month  Abib— April ;  tlie  civil  with 
Tisri— October.  The  year  was  solar.  There 
were  two  seasons,  summer  and  winter.  Ps. 
74  :  17 ;  Zech.  14  : 8 ;  Jer. ;  ) :  22 ;  Amos  3  :  15. 
The  months  were  lunar,  of  30  days  each,  and 
twelve  in  number,  although  a  thirteenth 
was  necessarily  intercalated  six  times  in 
every  19  years.  *  It  was  called  Ve-adar.  The 
festivals,"  holy  days,  and  fasts  of  the  year 
were  :  1.  The  feast  of  the  Passover,  the  14th 
day  of  the  first  month.  2.  The  feast  of  un- 
leavened bread,  in  the  same  month,  from 
the  15th  to  21st,  inclusive.  3.  The  feast  of 
215 


YEAR,  SABBATICAL 


PEOPLE 'S  DICTION AR  Y 


ZEBEDEE 


Pentecost,  called  also  feast  of  harvest  and 
"day  of  first  fruits,"  on  tlie  day  which 
ended  seven  weeks,  counted  from  the  16th 
of  the  first  month,  that  day  being  excluded. 
4.  The  feast  of  trumpets,'  on  the  first  day 
of  the  seventh  month.  5.  The  day  of  atone- 
ment, a  fast,  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  sev- 
enth month.  6.  The  feast  of"  tabernacles, 
or  of  gathering,  from  the  15th  to  tlie  '22d 
day,  inclusive,  of  the  seventh  month.  The 
post-Mosaic  festivals  are  Purim,  in  the 
twelfth  month  of  Adar.  13th  to  15th  day ; 
Dedication,  on  the  25th  day  of  the  ninth 
month.    See  Appendix. 

Year,  Sabbatical.  Every  seventh  year 
all  agricultural  labor  was  suspended,  and 
spontaneous  productions  were  left  to  the 
poor,  the  traveller,  and  the  wild  beasts. 
Lev.  25  : 1-7.  This  was  (1)  for  the  salie  of 
the  ground  ;  (2)  for  the  presentation  of  wild 
beasts ;  and  (3)  to  make  the  people  provi- 
dent and  sensible  of  dependence.  The 
people  could  fish,  hunt,  take  care  of  bees 
and  flocks,  repair  buildings,  manufacture 
clothes,  and  carry  on  commerce.  This  year 
was  religiously  observed.  Deut.  31 :  10-13. 
There  was,  moreover,  a  general  release  ;  no 
debt  to  a  Jew  was  allowed  to  stand,  but 
must  be  forgiven.     Deut.  15 : 1-11. 

Yoke.  It  was  much  lighter  and  larger 
than  ours,  so  that  the  cattle  stood  farther 
apart.  It  was  simply  a  stick  laid  upon  tlie 
necks  of  the  cattle",  to  which  it  was  held 
by  thongs  instead  of  wooden  bows,  and  in 
a  similar  manner  it  was  attached  to  the 
plough-beam.  In  modern  Syria  wooden 
pins  are  sometimes  used  instead  of  thongs, 
the  lo\\er  ends  of  which  are  held  by  a  par- 
allel stick  under  the  necks  of  the  oxen. 
The  yoke  was  an  appropriate  emblem  of 
subje'etion  and  of  slavery,  while  the  re- 
moval of  it  indicated  deliverance.  Gen. 
27  :  40  ;  Jer.  2  :  20 ;  Matt.  11  :  29,  30.  Break- 
ing the  yoke  also  represents  the  rejection 
of  authority.    Nah.  1 :  13. 


Z  a  an  aim  (zd'a-nd'im),  removals.  The 
plain,  or  the  oak  where  Heber  the  Kenite 
patched  his  tent,  Judg.  4 :  11,  some  2  or  3 
miles  northwest  of  the  Waters  of  Merora 
(Lake  Huleh.)  Conder  suggests  the  identi- 
fication of  Zaanaim  with  Bessiim,  east  of 
Tabor.    Same  as  Zaanannim. 

Zaccliaeus,  or  Zacclieus  (zak-ke'us).  A 
Jew— a  tax-collector  at  or  near  Jericho. 
When  Jesus  was  passing  through  Jericho 
on  his  last  journey  to  Jerusalem,  Zacchfeus 
M-as  anxious  to  see  him.  Luke  19  : 1-27.  Of 
Zaccha>us  nothing  more  is  certainly  known 
than  is  stated  in  Luke. 

Zacbariali  (ztlk'a-rVah),  remembered  by 
Jehovah.  1.  Son  of  Jeroboam  II.,  fourteenth 
king  of  Israel,  and  the  last  of  the  house  of 
Jehu.  There  is  a  difficulty  about  the  date 
of  his  reign.  Most  chronologers  assume  an 
interregnum  of  eleven  years  between  Jero- 
boam's death  and  Zachariah's  accession,  b. 
c.  772-1.  His  reign  lasted  only  six  months. 
He  was  killed  in  a  conspiracy  of  which 
Shallum  was  the  head,  and  by  which  the 
216 


prophecy  in  2  Kings  10 :  30  was  fulfilled.  2. 
The  father  of  Abi  or  Abijah,  Hezekiah's 
mother.     2  Kings  18  : 2. 

Zachai-ias  {zak'a-ri'as).  Greek  form  of 
Zachuriah.  1.  Father  of  John  the  Baptist. 
Luke  1 : 5,  etc.  He  was  a  priest  of  the 
course  of  Abia,  the  eighth  of  the  24  courses 
who  ministered  at  the  temple  in  turn.  2. 
Son  of  Barachias,  who,  our  Lord  says,  was 
slain  by  the  Jews  between  the  altar  and 
the  temple.  Matt.  23  :  35;  Luke  11  :  51. 
There  has  been  much  dispute  who  this 
Zacharias  was,  but  there  can  be  little  or  no 
doubt  that  the  allusion  is  to  Zechariah,  the 
son  of  Jehoiada,  2  Chrou.  24  :  20.  21  ;  and 
he  may  have  been  called  "  the  son  "  of 
Barachias  from  his  grandfather.  He  is 
mentioned  as  being  the  martyr  last  recorded 
in  the  Hebrew  Scriptures,  as  Abel  was  the 
first— 2d  Chronicles  being  placed  last  in 
their  Old  Testament  Scriptures. 

Zadok  (zd'dok),  jyst.  Son  of  Ahitub, 
and  one  of  the  two  high  priests  in  the  time 
of  David,  Abiathar  being  the  other.  2  Sam. 
8 :  17.  He  joined  David  at  Hebron.  1  Chron, 
12  :  28,  and  subsequently  anointed  Solomon 
king,  1  Kings  1  :  39,  and  was  rewarded  by 
Solomon  for  his  faithful  service  by  being 
made  sole  high  priest.  There  are  seven 
persons  of  this  name  mentioned  in  the 
Bible. 

Zaluion  (zdl'vion),  shady.  Mount,  a  hill 
near  Shechem,  Judg.  9 :  48,  the  same  as 
Salmon.    Ps.  68  :  14.    R.  V..  "  Zalmon." 

Zamzummim  {zam-zfmi'mim.)  Deut.  2  : 
20.  The  Ammonite  name  for  the  people  Avho 
by  others  m  ere  called  Rephaim, 

Zanoah  {za-nd'ah),  inarsh,  bog.  1.  A  tO"\\n 
in  Judah,  in  the  lowlands  or  "vallev." 
Josh.  15  :  34  ;  Neh.  3  :  13 ;  11 :  30.  East  "of 
Beth-shemesh,  at  Zdnun,  14  miles  west- 
southwest  of  Jerusalem.  2.  A  town  in  the 
highlands  of  Judah.  Josh.  15:56.  Za'nu- 
tah,  10  miles  south-southwest  of  Hebron. 

Zarepliath  [zdr'e-phdth),  smeltivg-house, 
and  Sarepta  (sa-rep'tah).  Luke  4 ":  26.  A 
town  of  Phoenicia,  on  the  Mediterranean, 
between  Tyre  and  Sidon.  At  Zarephath, 
Elijah  found  shelter  with  a.  widow  dur- 
ing the  great  famine  in  Israel.  1  Kings 
17  :  8-24.  The  prophet  Obadiah  mentions 
it  as  marking  the  limits  of  Israel's  victorj-. 
Obad.  20.  Jesus  made  reference  to  this  in- 
cident in  Elijah's  life.  Luke  4  :  26.  Now 
in  ruins. 

Zaretan  (zdr'e-tdn).  Josh.  3  :  16.  R.  V., 
"Zarethan."    See  Zereda. 

Zebedee  {ztb'e-dee),  my  gift.  Greek  form 
of  Zabdi.  A  fisherman  of  Galilee,  the 
father  of  the  apostles  James  and  John, 
Matt.  4  :  21,  and  the  husband  of  Snlome. 
Matt.  27  :  56  :  ISIark  15 :  40.  He  probably 
lived  at  Bethsaida.  It  has  been  inferred 
from  the  mention  of  his  "hired  servants," 
Mark  1 :  20,  and  from  the  acquaintance  be- 
ween  the  apostle  John  and  Annas  the  high 
priest,  John  18  :  15,  that  the  family  of  Zeb- 
edee were  in  easy  circumstances:  comp. 
John  19  :  27 ;  Matt.  4  :  21.  He  appears  only 
twice  in  the  Gospel  narrative,  namely,  in 
Matt.  4  :  21,  22 ;  Mark  1 :  19,  20,  where  he  is 
seen  in  his  boat  with  his  two  sons  mending 
their  nets. 


ZEBOIM 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ZIDON 


Z  e  b  o  i  m  {ze-bo'im),  hyxnas.  It  was  a 
gorge  or  ravine  apparently  east  of  Mich- 
mash,  and  mentioned  only  in  1  Sam.  13  :  18. 
The  "  wilderness  "  is  the  wild  tract  between 
the  central  hills  and  the  valley  of  the  Jor- 
dan. 

Zebulun  (zcb'u-lnn),  a  habitation.  One 
of  the  sons  of  Jacob,  and  of  Leah.  Gen. 
30  :  20 ;  35  :  23  :  46  :  14  ;  1  Chron.  2  : 1.  Of 
the  individual  Zebulun  nothing  is  recorded. 
He  had  three  sons,  founders  of  the  chief 
families  of  the  tribe.  Geu.  46,  comp.  Num. 
26 :  26.  The  tribe  is  not  recorded  to  have 
taken  part  in  any  of  the  events  of  the  wan- 
dering or  the  conquest.  Its  territory  was 
remote  from  the  centre  of  government.  The 
conduct  of  the  tribe  during  the  struggle 
with  Sisera,  when  they  fought  with  desper- 
ate valor,  was  sucli  as  to  draw  the  special 
praise  of  Deborah.   Judg.  5  :  18. 

Zeehariali  (zck'a-rVah),  Jehovah  remem- 
bers. 1.  The  eleventh  of  the  twelve  minor 
prophets,  of  priestly  descent,  and  a  con- 
temporary of  Haggai.  Ezra  5:1.  He  was 
born  m  Babylon,  and  was  both  a  priest  and 
a  prophet.  Scarcely  anything  is  known  of 
his  Ufe.  His  prophecies  were  about  b.  c. 
520. 

The  Book  of  Zechariah  consists  of  two 
divisions:  I.  Chaps.  1-8;  II.  Chaps.  f|-14. 
The  first  division  contains  visions  and  proph- 
ecies, exhortations  to  tiun  to  Jehovah,  and 
warnings  against  the  enemies  of  the  people 
of  God.  The  second  division  gives  a  pro- 
phetic description  of  the  future  fortunes  of 
the  theocracy  in  conflict  with  the  secular 
powers,  the  sufferings  and  death  of  the 
Messiah  under  the  figure  of  the  shepherd, 
the  conversion  of  Israel  to  him,  and  the 
final  glorification  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 
Some  have  ascribed  this  part  of  the  book 
to  Jeremiah  because  in  Matt.  27  : 9, 10  a  pas- 
sage is  quoted  under  the  name  of  Jeremiah, 
while  others  have  put  it  at  a  much  earher 
or  much  later  period  on  account  of  the 
peculiarities  of  the  style.  The  book  con- 
tains six  specific  references  to  Christ :  3  : 8  ; 
6  :  12  :  9  : 9 ;  11 ;  12 ;  12  :  10 ;  13  :  7,  represent- 
ing him  as  a  lowly  servant,  a  priest  and 
king  building  Jehovah's  temple,  the  meek 
and  peaceful  but  universal  monarch,  the 
shepherd  betrayed  for  the  price  of  a  slave 
(thirty  pieces  of  silver),  the  leader  to  re- 
pentance, and  the  Fellow  of  Jeho\'ah  smit- 
ten by  Jehovah  himself,  at  once  the  Re- 
deemer and  the  Pattern  of  his  flock.  Be- 
sides the  prophet,  27  other  persons  of  the 
name  Zechariah  are  mentioned  in  Scrip- 
ture. 

Zeclekiah  (zld'e-kVah),  justice  of  Jehovah. 
1.  The  last  kingof  Judan,  the  son  of  Josiah, 
and  the  uncle  of  Jehoiachin.  His  proper 
name  was  Mattaniah,  but  Nebuchadnez- 
zar changed  it  to  Zedekiah  when  raising 
him  to  the  throne.  He  commenced  his 
reign  at  twenty-one,  and  reigned  eleven 
years,  598-588  B.  c.  2  Chron.  36  :  11.  He 
Avas  a  weak  man,  and  the  people  were 
completely  demoralized.  In  the  ninth  year 
of  his  reign  he  revolted  against  Nebuchad- 
nezzar, in  consequence  of  which  the  Assyr- 
ian monarch  marched  his  army  into  Judiea 
aird  took  all  the  fortified  planes.     In  the 


eleventh  year  of  his  reign,  on   the  ninth 
day  of  the  fourth  month  (July),  Jerusalem 
I  was  taken.    The  king  and  his  people  en- 
I  deavored   to   escape    by    night,    but,    the 
I  Chaldaran  troops  pursuing  them,  they  were 
j  overtaken  in  the  plain  of  Jericho.  Zedekiah 
I  was  seized  and  canied  to  Nebuchadnezzar, 
!  then  at  liiblah,  in  Syria,  who  reproached 
him  with  his  perfidy,  caused  all  his  children 
I  to  be  slain  before  his  face  and  his  own  eyes 
I  to  be  put  out,  and  then,  loading  him  with 
chains  of  brass,  ordered  him  to  be  sent  to 
Babylon.    2  Kings  25  : 1-11 ;  2  Chron.  36  :  12, 
20.    Thus  the  double  prophecy  concerning 
him— that  he  should  be  carried  to  Babylon, 
but   never   see   it— was  literally  fulfilled. 
Jer.  32  :  4,  5  ;  34  :  3 ;  comp.  Ezek.  12  :  13.    2. 
A  false  prophet  In  the  reign  of  Ahab.    1 
Kings  22  :  11,  24,  25 ;  2  Chron.  18  :  10,  23,  24. 
There  are  four  persons  of  this  name  men- 
tioned in  the  Bible. 

Zepliauiah  {zeph'a-nVah),  Jehovah  hides. 
1.  One  of  the  minor  prophets,  in  the  days 
of  Josiah.  His  prophecy  was  uttered  about 
B.  c.  620  to  609.  The  description  of  the 
judgment  in  ch.  1 :  14.  15,  "  The  great  day 
of  Jehovah  is  near"  (in  the  Latin  version 
Dies  irse,  dies  ilia),  has  furnished  the  basis 
for  the  sublime  hymn  of  the  Middle  Ages, 
the  Dies  Irie  ascribed  to  Thomas  a  Celano, 
and  often  translated.  There  are  four  persons 
of  this  name  mentioned  in  the  Bible. 

Zerah  (ze'rah),  a  rising  of  light.  1.  An 
Ethiopian  or  Cushite  king  in  the  reign  of 
Asa,  routed  at  Mareshah,  in  the  valley  of 
Zephathah,  2  Chron.  14  : 9,  10.  There  are 
four  persons  of  this  name  mentioned  in  the 
Bible. 

Zereda  {zer'e-dah),  cooling.  A  place  in 
Ephraim,  in  the  plain  of  .Jordan.  1  Kings 
11 :  26.  Possiblv  it  is  the  same  as  Zaretan, 
Josh.  3  :  16 ;  Zererath,  Judg.  7  :  22.  R.  V., 
"  Zererah  ;  "  Zartanah,  1  Kings  4  :  12,  R.  V., 
"Zarethan;"  Zercdathah,  2  Chron.  4  :  17, 
R.  v.,  "Zeredah;"  and  Zarthan,  1  Kings 
7  :  46.  There  seems  to  be  much  confusion 
about  these  names,  but  the  Pal.  Memoirs 
suggest  as  the  site  of  Zereda,  Surdah,  2}^ 
miles  northwest  of  Beitin.  (Bethel). 

Zereclatliali  {ze-rM'a-thah).  2  Chron.  4: 
17,  A.  V.    See  Zereda. 

Zererath  (zSr'e-rath).  Judg.  7  :  22,  A.  V 
See  Zereda. 

Zerubbabel  (ze-riib'ba-bd),  begotten  in 
Babylon,  1  Chron.  3  :  19,  or  Zorobabel, 
Matt.  1  :  12,  A.  V.,  was  the  leader  of  the 
first  colony  of  Jews  that  returned  from  the 
captivity  in  Babylon,  Ezra  2  :  2,  and  was  of 
the  familv  of  David,  a  son  of  Salathiel  or 
Shealtiel,  Hag.  1:1;  Matt.  1 :  12,  but  called 
a  son  of  Pedaiah,  the  brother  or  son  of  Sa- 
lathiel, in  1  Chron.  3  :  17-19.  He  laid  the 
foundations  of  the  temple,  Zech.  4  :  6-10, 
and  was  chiefly  instrumental  in  restoring 
the  rehgious  rites  of  the  nation.  Finally 
he  succeeded  in  completing  the  building. 
Ezra  5:2;  Hag.  1  :  12,  14  ;  2  :  2,  4 ;  Zech.  4  ; 
6,10.  He  was  the  governor  of  J udssa.  Neh. 
12 :  47. 

Z  i  d  o  n  (zl'don),  hunting.    Heb.  Tsidon. 

"  Sidon,"  the  Greek  form,  is  found  in  Gen. 

10 :  15,  19,  in  the  Apocrypha  generally,  and 

in  the  New  Tesftameiit.    Zidon  was  a  lich 

217 


ZIKLAG 


PEOPLE'S  DICTIONARY 


ZOAN 


and  ancient  Phoeniciau  city.  The  citj'  was 
25  miles  south  of  the  modern  Beirut.  Zidon 
is  one  of  the  most  ancient  cities  of  the 
world.  The  pei^on  after  whom  it  is  named 
was  the  "  tirst-born  "  of  Canaan,  the  grand- 
son of  Noah.  Gen.  10  :  15 ;  1  Chron.  1  :  13. 
This  was  B.  c.  2218.  In  Joshua's  time  it  was 
"great  Zidon."  Josh.  11:8;  19:28,  and 
seems  to  have  been  the  metropohs  of 
Phoenicia.  Zidon  was  one  of  the  hm- 
its  of  the  tribe  of  Asher,  Josh.  19:  28, 
but  was  never  possessed  by  the  Israelites. 
Judg.  1 :  31 ;  3  :  o.  In  fact,*  the  Zidonians 
oppressed  Israel,  Judg.  10  :  12,  seeming 
themselves  to  be  secure  from  all  attacks 
and  living  "careless."  Judg.  18:7,  28. 
Tyre  was  one  of  the  colonies— a  "  virgin 
daughter,"  Isa.  23  :  12— of  Zidon,  but  sub- 
sequently became  the  more  important 
town.  The  Zidonians  were  famous  for 
commerce,  manufectures,  and  arts.  Their 
sailors  and  workmen  were  noted.  Zido- 
nians assisted  in  the  work  of  building  the 
temple.  1  Chron.  22  :  4  ;  1  Kings 5  :  6  :  Ezek. 
27 :  8.  From  Zidon  also  came  idolatrous 
abominations  to  corrupt  Israel.  1  Kings 
11  :  5,  33  ;  2  Kings  23  :  13.  The  city  was 
mentioned  frequently  in  prophetic  threat- 
enings,  but  with  much  less  severity  than 
Tvre.  Lsa.  23  :  2,  4,  12 ;  Jer.  25  :  22  ;  27  :  3  ; 
47  :  4  ;  Ezek.  27  :  8  ;  28 :  21,  22 ;  32  :  30 ;  Joel 
3:4;  Zech.  9  :  2.  In  New  Testament  times 
Zidon  (called  "Sidon")  was  visited  by  Je- 
sus, Matt.  15  :  21 ;  Mark  7  :  24 ;  Luke  4  :  26, 
although  the  "  coasts  "  of  Tyre  and  Sidon 
denoted  the  adjacent  region" as  well  as  the 
cities  themselves,  and  some  think  that  the 
Saviour  did  not  enter  the  cities.  Hearers 
from  among  those  people  were  drawn  to 
his  preaching.  Mark  3:8;  Luke  6:17; 
comp.  Matt.  11  :  22 :  Luke  10  :  14.  Herod's 
displeasure  with  this  region  is  noted.  Acts 
12 :  20.  The  apostle  Paul  touched  at  Zidon 
on  his  way  to  Rome,  and  visited  the  Chris- 
tians there.  Acts  27  :  3.  The  site  of  an- 
cient Zidon  is  occupied  by  the  modern 
Saida.  The  burying-grounds  are  exten- 
sive, and  many  curious  sarcophagi  have 
been  discovered.  One  was  the  sarcopha- 
gus of  kingAshmanezer ;  it  has  been  placed 
in  the  museum  at  Paris,  and  antiquarians 
fix  its  date  at  from  b.  c.  300  to  B.  c.  1000. 
The  ancient  ruins  are  few. 

Ziklag  (zWlag),  outpouring  of  a  fountain  f 
A  city  in  the  south  of  Judah,  Josh.  15 :  31 ; 
afterward  given  to  Simeon.  Josh.  19  :  5.  It 
was  at  times  held  by  the  Philistines.  Achish, 
king  of  Oath,  gave  it  to  David,  and  it  sub- 
sequently belonged  to  Judah.  Its  chief 
interest  is  in  connection  with  the  life  of 
David.  1  Sam.  27  :  6 ;  30  : 1, 14,  26 ;  2  Sam. 
1:1;  4  :  10 :  1  Chron.  4  :  30 ;  12 : 1-20.  It 
was  also  inhabited  after  the  return  from 
the  captivity.    Neh.  11 :  28. 

Zimri  (zlm'ri).  1.  A  Simeonite  chieftain, 
slain  by  Phinehas.  Num.  25  :  14.  2.  Fifth 
king  of  the  separate  kingdom  of  Israel  for 
seven  days.  He  gained  the  crown  by  the 
murder  of  king  Elah,  but  the  army  made 
Omri  king,  and  Zimri  retreated  into  the 
innermost  part  of  the  palace,  set  it  on  fire, 
and  perished  in  the  ruins.   1  Kings  16 :  9-20. 

Zin  (s*>7),  a  low  palm  tree.  The  wilder- 
218 


ness  of  Zin  was  a  part  of  the  Arabian  des- 
ert south  of  Palestine.  Num.  13:21,  22; 
34 : 3 ;  Josh.  15 : 1,  3 ;  Num.  20 :  1 ;  27  :  14  ;  33 : 
36.  Kadesh  is  sometimes  sijoken  of  at,  in 
the  wilderness  of  Zin,  Num.  33 :  36,  and 
again  as  in  the  wilderness  of  Paran.  Num. 
\6  :  26.  This  is  explained  by  the  fact  that 
Paran  was  the  general  name  for  the  whole 
desert,  while  Zin  was  the  northeastern  cor- 
ner of  that  desert. 

Zion  (z'l'on),  and  Sion  {sVon),  dry,  sunny 
mount.  This  hill  in  Jerusalem  is  fii-st  men- 
tioned as  a  stronghold  of  the  Jebusites. 
Josh.  15  :  63.  It  remained  in  their  posses- 
sion until  captured  by  David,  who  made  it 
"the  city  of  David,"  the  capital  of  his 
kingdom.  He  built  there  a  citadel,  his 
own  palace,  houses  for  the  people,  and  a 
place  for  the  ark  of  God.  2  Sam.  5:7:1 
Kings  8:1;  2  Kings  19  :  21,  31 ;  1  Chron.  11  : 
5;  2  Chron.  5:2.  In  the  prophetical  and 
poetical  books  the  name  occurs  no  less  than 
148times,viz.,  in  Psalms  38  times,Song  of  Sol. 
1,  Isaiah  47,  Jeremiah  17,  Lamentations  15, 
Joel  7,  Amos  2,  Obadiah  2,  Micah  9,  Zepha- 
niah  2,  Zechariah  8.  In  the  New  Testa- 
ment it  occurs  seven  times  as  "  Sion,"  mak- 
ing the  total  number  of  times  the  name 
occurs  161.  It  was  in  the  later  books  no 
longer  confined  to  the  southwestern  hill, 
but  denoted  sometimes  Jerusalem  in  gen- 
eral, Ps.  149  :  2  ;  87  :  2 ;  Isa.  33  :  14  ;  Joel  2  : 
1.  etc. ;  sometimes  God's  chosen  people,  Ps. 
51  :  IS:  87:5,  etc.  ;  sometimes  the  church, 
Heb.  12  :  22,  etc. ;  and  sometimes  the  heav- 
enly city.  Kev.  14  : 1,  etc.  Hence,  Zion 
has*  passed  into  its  present  common  use  in 
rehgious  literature  to  denote  the  aspirations 
and  hopes  of  God's  children.  A  part  of 
the  hill  is  cultivated,  and  thus  the  traveller 
is  frequently  reminded  of  the  prophecy, 
"  Zion  shall  be  ploughed  like  a  field."  Jer. 
26  :  18 ;  Micah  3 :  12.    See  Jerusalem. 

Zipli,  a  flouing.  1.  A  city  in  the  south 
of  Judah.  Josh.  15  :  24.  2.  A  tow  n  in  the 
highlands  of  Judah,  Josh.  15  :  55 ;  fortified 
by  Eehoboam.  2  Chron.  11 :  8.  When  pur- 
sued by  Saul,  David  hid  himself  "in  the 
wilderness  of  Ziph."  1  Sam.  23  :  14, 15,  24 ; 
26  : 2.  The  site  is  Tell  es  Zif,  about  four 
miles  southeast  of  Hebron,  on  the  road  to 
En-gedi.  Tristram  says  :  "  How  far  the  for- 
est of  Ziph,"  see  1  Sam.  23:14,  15,  "ex- 
tended it  is  not  easy  to  say,  but  there  are 
traces  of  it  in  an  occasional  tree,  and  there 
seems  no  reason,  from  the  nature  of  the 
soil,  why  the  woods  may  not  have  stretched 
nearly  to  the  barren,  *sandy  marl  which 
j  overlies  the  limestone  for  a  few  miles  west 
;  of  the  Dead  Sea."  3.  A  descendant  of 
Judah.    1  Chron.  4:16. 

Ziz  (zfz),  the  Clifl"  of.    2  Chron.  20  :  16. 
I  R.  v.,  the  ascent  of  Ziz.    The  pass  was  the 
ascent  through  which  invaders  from  the 
I  south  and  east,  after  doubhng  the  south 
j  end  of    the   Dead    Sea,  entered  the  hill- 
country  of  Judsea.    Ziz  was  the  key  of  the 
jjass. 

Zoan  (zo'an),  low  region  f  or  place  of  de- 
parture f  A  city  of  lower  Egypt ;  called  by 
the  Greeks  Tanis — now  San.  Zoan  was  an 
exceedingly  ancient  citv,  built  seven  vears 
after  Eebrom.    Num.  IB*:  22.    The  "fieMof 


ZOAR 


OF  THE  BIBLE. 


ZUZIM 


Zoan"  was  the  place  of  God's  wonders. 
Ps.  78  :  12,  43.  When  Isaiah  wrote,  it  would 
appear  to  have  been  one  of  the  chief  cities 
in  Egvpt,  as  he  speaks  of  "the  princes  of 
Zoan."  Isa.  19  :  11,  13 ;  3U  :  4.  Ezekiel  fore- 
tells the  fate  of  the  city  in  the  words  :  "I 
will  set  fire  in  Zoan."  Ezek.  30  :  14,  There 
are  no  other  Scripture  references  to  Zoan. 
Zoan  has  been  satisfactorily  identified  wiLli 
the  ancient  Avaris  and  Taiiis  and  the  mod- 
ern San.  Very  interesting  discoveries  have 
Ijeen  made  there  within  a  few  years. 
Among  the  inscriptions  has  been  found 
one  with  the  expression  Sechet  Tanet,  which 
exactly  corresponds  to  the  "  field  of  Zoan." 
Ps.  78  :  43.  The  mounds  which  mark  the 
site  of  the  town  are  remarkable  for  their 
height  and  extent,  and  cover  an  area  a 
mile  in  length  by  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
in  width.  The  sacred  enclosure  of  the 
great  temple  was  1500  feet  long  and  1250 
feet  wide.  This  temple  was  adorned  by 
Rameses  II.  There  are  some  dozen  obe- 
lisks of  great  size,  all  fiiUen  and  broken, 
with  numerous  statues.  "  The  whole  con- 
stitutes," says  Macgregor,  "one  of  the 
grandest  and  oldest  ruins  in  the  world." 

Zoar  {zo'ar),  smnllneas.  Gen.  19:22,  23, 
30.  One  of  the  cities  of  Canaan.  Its  earlier 
name  was  Bela.  Gen.  14  : 2,  8.  In  the 
general  destruction  of  the  cities  of  the 
plain,  Zoar  was  spared  to  afford  shelter  to 
Lot.  It  was  one  of  the  landmarks  which 
Moses  saw  from  Pisgah,  Deut.  34  :  3,  and  it 
app  'rs  to  have  been  known  in  the  time 
of  Isaiah,  Isa.  15  : 5,  and  Jeremiah,  Jer. 
48  :  34.  It  was  situated  in  the  same  district 
with  the  four  cities  of  the  "plain"  of  the 
Jordan,  and  near  to  Sodom.  Gen.  19 :  15, 
23,  27.     See  Sodom. 

Zobali  (zo'bah),  station.  A  Syrian  king- 
dom, sometimes  called  Aram  Zobah,  and 
also  written  "  Zoba,"  whose  kings  made 
war  with  Saul,  1  Sara.  14  :  47  ;  with  David, 
2  Sam.  8:3;  10 :  6,  8 ;  1  Chron.  18  :  5,  9 ;  and 
with  Solomon,  2  Chron.  8:3.  It  was  on 
the  north  of  Damascus.  2  Sam.  8:3:  23 : 
36 ;  1  Kings  11 :  23.  Zobah  is  found  on  the 
Assyrian  inscriptions. 

Zolieleth  [zu'he-lcth),  serpent.  A  stone 
by  "En-rogel,"  by  which  Adonijah  "slew 


sheep  and  oxen  and  fat  cattle."    1  Kings 
1:9. 

Zophar  [zO'phar).  One  of  Job's  three  . 
friends,  Job  2  :  11,  is  called  the  Naamath- 
ite,  probably  because  he  belonged  to  Na- 
amah,  Josh.  15  :  41,  a  town  assigned  to  Ju- 
dah. 

Zophim  (zo'phim),  watchers.  The  field 
of  Zophim  was  the  place  on  the  "  top  of 
Pisgah"  to  which  Balak  brought  Balaam, 
^ium.  23 :  14.  If  the  word  rendered  "  field  " 
be  taken  in  its  usual  sense,  then  the  "  field 
of  Zophim  "  was  a  cultivated  spot  high  up 
on  the  top  of  Pisgah.    See  Pisgah. 

Zorali  {zo'rah),  and  Zoi-eah  {zo're-ah), 
hornet's  toiun,  and  Zareali  (za're-ah),  Neh. 
11 :  29,  a  town  in  the  low  country  of  Judah 
—afterward  assigned  to  Dan,  Josh.  15 :  33 ; 
19  :  41 ;  the  birthplace  and  burialplace  of 
Samson.  Judg.  13  :  2,  25  :  16  :  31.  From 
Zorah  the  Daniles  sent  spies  to  search  the 
land  for  a  place  of  inheritance.  Judg.  18 : 
2.  Zorah  was  fortified  by  Rehoboam,  2 
Chron.  11  :  10,  and  inhabited  after  the  re- 
turn from  captivity.  Neh.  11  :  29.  The 
place  still  exists  as  Surah,  13  miles  west  of 
Jerusalem. 

Zupli  {zuph),  or  Siipli,  R.  V.  text,  flag, 
sedge.  Deut.  1:1,  margin.  1.  From  the  He- 
brew Siiph,  signifying  a  kind  of  seaweed, 
and  the  Hebrew  name  for  the  Red  Sea.  2. 
Name  of  a  person.    1  Sam.  1 : 1. 

Zuph,  the  Land  of.  1  Sam.  9:5,  6. 
The  whole  of  this  journey  of  Saul  has  been 
a  curious  puzzle  in  Scripture  topography. 
Neither  the  starting  point,  nor  the  point  to 
which  he  returned,  is  known,  and  the 
places  between  them  cannot  be  deter- 
mined. 

Ziir,  rock.  1.  Son  of  the  founder  of 
Gibeon.  1  Chron.  8  :  30 ;  9  :  36.  2.  A  prince 
of  Midian.  Num.  25  :  15;  Josh.  13  :  21.  He 
was  slain  with  others  by  the  Israelites. 
Num.  25 :  18. 

Ziizim  {zii'zim).  Gen.  14:5.  The  name 
of  a  people  in  Htim,  who  were  defeated  in 
the  famous  invasion  of  Chedorlaomer.  The 
Zuzim  are  believed  to  be  the  same  people 
that  the  Ammonites  later  called  the  Zam- 
zimamim,  and  that  others  called  the  Re- 
phaim  or  giants.    See  Deut.  2 :  20,  R.  V. 


Interesting  Facts  about  the  Bible, 

old  testament.  new  testajvient. 

Number  of  books  in 39  27 

Number  of  chapters  in 929  260 

Number  of  verses  in 23,214  7,959 

Number  of  words  in 592,439  181,253 

Number  of  letters  in 2,728,100  838,380 

Middle  book  in Proverbs.  2  Thess. 

Middle  chapter  of , Job  29.  Romans  13  and  14. 

Middle  verse  of 2  Chronicles  20 :  17.  Acts  17 :  17. 

Shortest  book  in Obadiah.  3  John. 

Shortest  verse  in 1  Chronicles  1 : 1.  John  11 :35. 


IN  WHOLE  BIBLE. 
66 
1,189 
31,173 
773,692 
3,566,480 
Micah  and  Nahum 
Psalm  117. 
Psalm  118 : 8. 
3  John. 
John  11 :  35. 


Ezra  7 :  21  has  all  the  letters  of  the  alphabet  except  j. 

Isaiah  37  and  2  Kings  19  are  alike  ;  so  are  the  last  verses  of  2  Chron.  and  the  opening 
verses  of  Ezra. 

The  word  Jehovah  occurs  6853  times  in  the  Bible ;  the  word  and  35,543  times  in  the 
Old  Testament,  and  6853  times  in  the  New  Testament.  The  shortest  chapter  in  the 
Bible  is  Ps.  117. 

219 


APPENDIX. 

CHIEF  PARABLES  AND  MIRACLES  IN  THE  BIBLE. 

By  the  EEV.  EDWIN  W.  RICE,  D.D. 


PARABLES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

Trees  choosing  a  kiug.    Judg.  9 :  7-15. 

Samson's  riddle.    Judg  14 :  14. 

Nathan  and  the  ewe  lamb.    2  Sam.  12: 

1-6. 
Woman  of  Tekoah.    2  Sam.  14:  6-11. 
Escaped  prisoner.    1  Kings  20  -.35-40. 
Thistle  and  cedar.    2  Kings  14 : 9. 
The  vine.     Ps.  80  :  8-16. 
Vineyard.     Is.  6:  1-7. 
Eagle  and  vine.    Eze  17  : 3-10. 
Lion's  whelps.     Eze.  19 :  2-9. 
Boiling  pot.    Eze.  24:3-5. 
Cedar  in  Lebanon.    Eze.  31 : 3-18. 

MIRACLES  IN  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

Enoch  translated.    Gen.  5 :  24 ;  Heb.  11 : 5. 

The  flood.    Gen.  7: 11-24. 

Sodom    and    Gomorrah  destroyed.     Gen. 

19 :  24. 
Lot's  wife  made  a  salt  pillar.    Gen.  19  :26. 
Burning  bush.    Ex.  3:2-4. 
Aaron's  rod.     Ex.  7  :  10-12. 
Ten  plagues  of  Egypt,  Ex.,  chaps.  7  to  12: 

1.  Waters  turned  to  blood.    7  :  19-25. 

2.  Frogs.    8:5-14. 

3.  Lice.    8 :  17, 18. 

4.  Flies.    8 :  24. 

.5.  Murrain,  (cattle  plague).    9  ;  3-6. 

6.  Boils.    9:8-11. 

7.  Thunder,  hail,  etc.    9 :  22-26. 

8.  Locusts.     10  :  12-19. 

9.  Darkness.     10 :  21-33. 

10.  Death  of  the  firstborn.    12 :  29-30. 
Cros.sing  of  the  Bed  Sea.    Ex.  14:  21-31. 
Marah's  waters  sweetened.    Ex.  15  : 23-25. 
Giving  the  manna.     Ex.  16 :  14-35. 
Water  from  tli  e  rock  at  Horeb.  Ex.  17  : 5-7. 
Nadab  and  Abihu.     Lev.  10  : 1,  2. 
Part  of  Israel  burned.    Num.  11 : 1-3. 
Korah  and  his  company.    Num.  16  :  32. 
Aaron's  rod  budding.    Num.  17  : 1,  etc. 
Water  from  the  rock,  Meribah.    Num.  20 : 

7-11. 
■Brazen  serpent.    Num.  21  : 8,  9. 
Balaam's  ass  speaks.    Num.  22 :  21-35. 
River  Jordan  crossed.    Josh.  3 :  14-17. 
Walls  of  Jericho  fall.    Josh.  6:  6-20. 
.Teroboara's  hand  withered.    1  Kgs.  13:  4, 6. 
Widow's  meal  and  oil  increased.    1  Kings 

17 :  14-16. 
Widow's  son  raised.    1  Kings  17 :  17-24. 
Elijah  calls  fire  from    heaven.     1  Kings 

18 :  28. 
Ahaziah's  captains  consumed  by  fire.    2 

Kings  1:10-12. 
Jordan  divided  by  Elijah  and  Elisha.    2 

Kings  2:  7,  8,14. 
Elijah  carried  to  heaven.    2  Kings  2:11. 
Waters    of  Jericho  healed.     2  Kings  2 : 

21,  22. 
220 


The  widow's  oil  multiplied.  2  Kings  4: 2-7. 

Shunammite's  son  raised.  2  Kings  4 :  32-37. 

Naaman  and  Gehazi.    2  Kings  5  :  10-27. 

The  iron  axe-head  swims.    2  Kings  6  :  5-7. 

Syrian  army's  blindness.    2  Kgs.  6  :18,  20. 

Dead  man  raised.    2  Kings  13  :  21. 

Sennacherib's  army  destroyed.  2  Kings 
19 :  35. 

Sun-dial  of  Ahaz.    2  Kings  20 :  9-11. 

Uzziah  struck  with  leprosy.  2  Chron.  26 ; 
16-21. 

Shadrach,  Meshach,  Abednego  in  the  fur- 
nace.   Dan.  3:  19-27. 

Daniel  in  the  den  of  lions.     Dan.  6: 16-23. 

Jonah  and  a  great  fish.    Jonah  2: 1-10. 

PARABLES  IN  THE  GOSPELS. 

I.   Found  in  Matthew  only  (and  not  found 
in  any  other  Gospel). — II. 

The  tares.    13:1-24. 
Hid  treasure.    13:  44. 
Pearl  of  great  price.    13 :  46. 
Dragnet.     13:47,48. 
Unmerciful  servant.    18 :  23-34. 
Laborers  in  the  vineyard.    20  : 1-16. 
The  two  sons.     21:28-32. 
Marriage  of  king's  son.    22: 1-14. 
Ten  virgins.    25:1-13. 
Ten  talents.    25  :  14-30. 
Sheep  and  goats.    25 :  31-46. 

2.  Found  in  Mark  only. — 2. 

The  seed.    4 :  25-29. 
Householder.    13 :  34-36. 

3.  Found  in  Luke  only.— 17, 

Two  debtors.    7:41-43. 
Good  Samaritan.    10 :  25-37. 
Friend  at  midnight.    11 : 5-8. 
Rich  fool.     12  :  16-21. 
Servants  watching.    12 :  35-40. 
The  servan  t  on  trial.    12 :  42-48. 
Barren  fig  tree.    13 :  6-9. 
Great  supper.     14 :  16-24. 
Tower  and  warring  king.    14:28-33. 
The  lost  silver.     15:8-10. 
Prodigal  (lost)  son.     15  :  11-32. 
The  shrewd  steward.    16 : 1-8. 
Rich  man  and  Lazarus.    16 :  19-31. 
Unprofitable  servants.    17:7-10. 
Unjust  judge.    18:1-8. 
Pharisee  and  publican.    18 s  9-14. 
Ten  pounds.    19 :  12-27. 

4.  In  Matthew  and  Luke  only.— 3. 

House   on  rock  and  sand.     Matt.  7t24- 

27  ;  Luke  6  :  48,  49. 
The  leaven.    IMatt.  13 :  33 ;  Luke  13 :  20. 
Lost  sheep.    Matt.  18 :  12 ;  Luke  15 :  3-7. 


PARABLES  AND  MIRACLES. 


5.  In  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke  only.— 7. 

Light  under  a  bushel.     Matt.  5 :  15 ;  Mark 

4:21-  Luke  8:1(1. 
Cloth  and  garment.    Matt.  9  :  16 ;  Mark  2 : 

21;  Luke  5:  36. 
Wine  and  bottles.  Matt.  9 :  17 ;  Mark  2 :  22 ; 

Luke  5:  37. 
The  sower.     Matt.  13;  Mark  4 ;  Luke  8. 
Mustard  seed.     Matt.  13  ;  ISIark  4  ;  Lk.  18. 
Wicked  husbandmen.    Matt.  21 ;  Mark  12  ; 

Luke  20. 
The  fig  tree  and  the  trees.  Matt.  24  ;  Mark 

13;  Luke  21. 

MIRACLES  IN  THE  NEW  TESTA- 
MENT. 

A.  In  the  Gospels. 
I.  Found   in    Matthew  only   (not    in   any 

other  Gospel).— 3. 
Two  blind  men  see.    9 :  27-31. 
Dumb  demoniac.    9:32,33. 
Money  (shekel)  in  the  fish.    17:24-27. 

2.  Found  in  Mark  only. — 2. 

Deaf  and  dumb  cured.    7  :  31-37. 
Blind  man  made  to  see.    8 :  22-26. 

3.  Found  in  Luke  only.— 6. 

Draught  of  fishes.    5:1-11. 
Eaising  widow's  son.    7  :  11-15. 
Infirm  woman  healed.    13: 11-15. 
Dropsy  cured.     14 : 1-6. 
Ten  lepers  cleansed.    17  :  11-19. 
Malchus'  ear  healed.    22 :  50, 51. 

4.  Found  in  John  only.— 6. 

Water  made  wine  at  Cana.    2:1-11. 
Nobleman's  son  healed.    4 :  46-54. 
Impotent  man  at  Bethesda.    6 : 1-9. 
Sight  to  man  born  blind.    9:1-7. 
Lazarus  raised  to  life.     11 :  38-44. 
Draught  of  153  fishes.    21 : 1-14. 

5.  In  Matthew  and  Mark  only. — 3. 

Syrophoenician's    daughter.      Matt.     15 ; 

Mark  7. 
Four  thousand  fed.    Matt.  15 ;  Mark  8. 
Withered  fig  tree.    Matt.  21 ;  Mark  11. 


6.   In  Matthew  and  Luke  only. — 2. 

Centurion's  servant.    Matt.  8;  Luke  7. 
Blind    and   dumb   demoniac.     Matt.  12; 
Luke  11, 
7.  In  Mark  and  Luke  only.— 2. 

Demoniac  in  synagogue.    Mark  1 ;  Luke  4. 
The  ascension    ot    Jesus.      Mark    16:19; 
Luke  24 :  51 ;  (Acts  1 :  9, 10.) 

8.  In  Matthew,  Mark  and  Luke  only. — 10. 

Peter's  mother-in-law.     Matt.  8 ;  Mark  1 ; 
Luke  4. 
I    Storm  stilled.    Matt.  8 ;  Mark  4 ;  Luke  8 ; 
I    Devils  at  Gadara.  Matt.  8  ;  Mark  5  ;  Luke  8. 
1    Leper  cured.     Matt.  8  ;  Mark  2  ;  Luke  5. 

Jairus'  daughter.  INIatt.  9  ;  JNIark  o  ;  Luke  8. 

Woman's  is^ue  of  blood.  Matt.  9;  Mark  5; 
Luke  8. 

Palsy  cured.    Matt.  9  ;  Mark  2  ;  Luke  5. 

Withered  hand.  Matt.  12 ;  Mark  3 ;  Luke  6. 

Demoniac  child.  Matt.  17  ;  Mark  9;  Luke  9. 

Blind  of  Jericho.  Matt.  20 ;  Mark  10 ;  Lk.  18- 

9.  In  Matthew,  Mark  and  John  only.— F 

Walking  on  the  sea.  Matt.  14;  Mk.  6;  John  6. 

10.  In  all  the  Gospels.— 2. 
Five  thousand  fed.     Matt.  14;  Mark  6; 

Luke  9  ;  John  6. 
Jesus'  resurrection.      Matt.  28;  Mark  16; 

Luke  24;  John  20;  (Acts  1). 

B.  Miracles  in  the  Acts.— 16. 
Pentecostal  tongues.    2 : 1-4. 
Lame  man  healed.     3 :  2-10. 
Ananias  and  Sapphira.    5  : 1-10. 
Angel  opens  the  prison.    5  :  19. 
Unclean  spirits  cast  out.    8:6,7. 
Saul's  conversion.     9:3-18. 
Eneas  healed  by  Peter.     9  :  32-34. 
Dorcas  raised  to  life.     9 :  36-41. 
Angel  delivers  Peter.     12 : 4-12. 
Elymas  struck  blind.     13 :  8-11. 
Lame  man  at  Lvstra.     14  :  8-10. 
Evil  spirit  cast  out.     16:16-18. 
Prison  opened  at  Philippi.    16:25-31. 
Eutvchus  resto'od.    20  :  9-12. 
Viper  from  Paul's  hand.    28  :  3-6. 
Father  of  Publius  healed.    28  : 8, 9. 


TABLE  OF  TIME. 
Hebrew  divisions  of  the  day. 

Civil  day  =  from  sunset  one  evening  to 
sunset  the  next  evening. 

Night  Watches  (Ancient). 

First  watch  (Lam.  2: 19),  to  about  10  or 
11  P.M. 

Second  watch  (Judg.  7 :  19),  to  about  2  a.m. 

Third  (morning)  watch  (Ex.  14;  24),  to 
sunrise. 

Night  Watches  (New  Testament). 

First  watch  (evening),  sunset  to  9  p.m. 

Second  watch  (midnight),  9  to  12  p.m. 

Third  watch  (cockcrowing),  12  to  3  a.m. 

Fourth  watch  (morning),  3  to  sunrise. 

THE  YEAR. 

The  Hebrew  sacred  year  began  with  the 
Passover;  Ww  .Qiml,  year  tvith  flie  Feast  of 
Trumpet..    (See  pa^e  158, ) 


DAY  DIVISIONS.-ROMAN  TIME. 

(New  Testament.) 

Tlie  natural  day  (from  sunrise  to  sunset), 
the  Romans  divided  iutu  twelve  equal  parts. 
The  foilowiug  cable  shows  the  approximate 
begi lining  of  each  of  the  twelve  hours ;  equal 
in  midsummer  to  134,  iind  iii  midwinter  to  %, 
of  one  of  our  hours. 
Roman  In  Midsummer  In  Midwinter 
Hour.  Began  Began 

1st  liour,     about  4.30  A.M.       about  7.30  a.m. 
2d      "  *'     5.45    "  "     8.15    " 

3d      "  '*     7.        "  "     9. 

4ch     "  '*    8.15    "  "     9.45    " 

6th     "  "     9.30    "  "  10.30    " 

6th     "  "  10.45    "  '*  11.15    " 

7th     "  "  12.  M.  "  12.         M. 

8th     "  "     1.15  p.m.  "  12.45  P.M. 

9th     "  "     2.30    "  *'     L30    " 

10th     "  "    3.45    "  *'     2.15    " 

nth     "  "    5.        "  "    3. 

12ch     "  '*     6.15    "  "3  43    " 

Day  ends,        "     7.30    "  "    4.30    " 

221 


TABLES  OF  MEASURES,  WEIGHTS  AND  MONEY  IN 
THE   BIBLE. 

These  tables  are  based  upon  the  latest  and  highest  authorities,  as  Schrader,  Brandts  and  F.  W, 
Madden  {Jexvish  Coinage  and  Money),  Whitehouse  and  Bisseil. 


I.  MEASURE  OF  LENGTH. 

ft.      in. 
Digit,  or  finger.    Jer.  52  :  21,  .  /^^ 

4  digits  =  1  palm.     Ex.  25 :  25,  SyVs 

3  palms  =  1  span.     Ex.  28  :  16,  Qj^^jj 
2  spans  =  l  cubit.i    Gen.  6: 15,        1        7 

4  cubits  =  1  fathom.    Acts  27  : 

28, 6        4 

6  cubits  =  1  reed.  Eze.  40 :  3,  5,  9  6 
1  Roman  foot,    ....  UtIjIj 

5  Roman  feet  =  1  Roman  pace,       4      10)^ 
6}4  Roman  ft.  =  6  Greek  ft.  -= 

Greek  fathom,  ...  6  ^^^ 
625  Roman    ft.  =   1    furlong 

(Greek  stadium),    .        .        .606        9 
1  Roman  mile  2  =  about  y%  of 

an  English  mile,     .        .        .  4854 
15   furlongs  ==  Sabbath   day's 

journey.    Compare  John  11 : 

18  with  Acts  1 :  12. 

1  The  cubit  varied  in  length.  The 
short  cubit  was  about  15  or  16  inches  : 
then  a  cubit  a  handbreadth  longer  (see 
Eze.  40  :  5),  or  about  19  inches  ;  the  Baby- 
lonian cubit  after  the  captivity,  about  21 
inches.  The  Greek  cubit,  and  the  Jewish 
cubit  used  in  temple  measurements,  was 
about  18  to  19  inches. 

^  WebsterK'if International  Dictionary  notes 
that  a  Roman  mile  equals  1000  paces  = 
1614  English  yards,  or  4842  feet :  but 
others  make  it  equal  to  1618  English 
yards,  or  4854  feet,  as  in  the  table.  It  was 
equal  to  8  Greek  stadia,  or  furlongs. 

2.  MEASURE  OF  CAPACITY   (Dry). 

pks.  pts. 

1|  kab  (cab)^  =  1  omer,2     .       .  5 

6  "  3i/^omers=lseah,3  1  1 
18  "  3seah  =  l  ephah,4  3  3 
180      "          10  ephahs  =  1  ho- 

merS  or  kor,6    ....     32 

12  Kings  6:  25.  2  Ex.  16:16.  3  Matt.  13: 
33.  4  Ex.  16  :  36.  6  Lev.  27  :  16.  6  Eze.  45  : 
14.  But  Josephus  gives  the  equivalent 
of  the  homer  at  about  10^^  bushels,  or 
43  pecks,  while  the  rabbins  give  it  at  about 
5}/^  bushels,  or  21  pecks. 

3.  MEASURE  OF  CAPACITY  (Liquid). 

gals.  qts.  pts. 

1  log.  Lev.  14:10,  .       .      about  4 
4  logs  =  1  cab  (kab),      .        .  "                S]4 
3kabs  =  lhin.     Ex.  30:24,  '*           5 

2  hins  =  l  seah,      ..."  10 

3  seahs  =  1  bath  or  ephab, 

1  Kings  7: 26,       .        .        .  "  30    1 

10  ephahs  =  1  kor  or  homer. 
Eze.  45 :  14,  .        .        .       ,  "  75  5 


1  gerah 

10  gerahs  =  1  bekah 


4.  WEIGHT  (Troy). 

lb! 
Ex.  30:1? 


Ex.  38 ; 


oz.  grs. 
1261^ 


lbs.  oz.  grs. 
2  bekahs  =  1  shekel.     Gen. 

23:15 ^13 

60  shekels  =  1  maneh.    Eze. 

45  :  12 2    7  300 

60  manehs  =  Kikkar  (Heb. 

Kikkar.      Ex.    25  :  29) ;   or 

king's  talent.i        .        .        .  158    1  240 

1  There  may  have  been  a  smaller  talent 
of  50  manehs  or  minas,  rather  more  than 
125  pounds. 

5.  SILVER  MONEY. 

{According  to  Bissell's  Bib.  Aniiq.) 

cents. 

1  gerah  = OdA% 

10  gerahs  =1  bekah,  .        .        .  .365^ 

2  bekahs  =  1  shekel,  ...  .73 
60  shekels  =  1  maneh,  .  <,  S43.86 
50  manehs  =  1  talent,  .  .  $2190.00 
{According  to  Madden  and  Whitehouse. — Old 

Testament  period.) 
1  shekel  (holy  shekel),    ...  .64 

50  shekels  =  1  maneh  or  mina,     .      $32.00 
6U  manehs  or  minas  =  1  talent,     .    1920.00 

6.  GOLD  MONEY  (Troy  oz.  =  $l9.47/o). 

According  to  Bisseil. 
1  shekel  (gold),       ....  $5.35 

100  shekels  =  1  maneh,        .       .         535.00 
100  manehs  =  1  talent,         .        .    53,500.00 
{According  to  3fadden  and  Whitehouse. — Old 
Testament  period.) 

1  shekel $9.60 

50  shekels  =  1  maneh  or  mina,  .        480.60 
60  manehs  or  minas  =  1  talent,  .    28,800.00 

7.  ROMAN  COPPER  MONEY. 

{JVew  Testament pjeriod,  coins  v)ere :) 

1  lepton  =  1  mite,      .        .       .  about  J/g  ct. 

2  leptons  or  mites=l  quadrans, 

(tiie  farthing  of  Matt.  5  :  26),      "      J^  ct. 
4   quadrans  =  1   as,  (the   far- 
thing of  Matt.  10  :  29),  .        .      "        1  ct. 
(The  "  as  "  of  N.  T.  times  was  much  re- 
duced from  the  earlier  coin  of  that  de- 
nomination.) 

8.  SILVER  GREEK  AND  ROMAN 
MONEY. 

{According  to  31adden  and  Whitehouse. — New 
Testament  Period.) 

1  denarius =1  "penny"  (Matt.  22 :        cents. 
16 ;)  drachmai  or  16  ases,  .  about  .16 

2  denarii  or  drachmas  =  didrach- 

ma? "      .32 

4  drachmas  =  stater  3  or  shekel,  .  .64 

30  shekels  (Attic)  =  1  mina  or 

pound, $19.10 

60  minas  or  shekels  =  1  talent 

(Attic), 1,146.00 

1  Luke  15: 8.  2  Matt.  17: 24.  3  Matt.  17: 27. 
{According  to  Bisseil.) 

1  denarius  "  penny  "  =  1  drachma=    .18^o 

2  denarii  =  didrachma  {}4  shekel)  =    .36^% 
4      "       =2  didrachma  "(shekel)  =    .73^o 


LIST  OF  OBSOLETE  OR  OBSCURE  WORDS  IN  THE 
ENGLISH  (A.  V.)  BIBLE. 

By  the  rev.  EDWIN  W.  RICE,  D.D. 


Abjects,  Ps.  35 :  15— low,  despised  persons. 

Abomiiiation,  Deut.  7:  2(3— idol;  polluted 
thing. 

Addicted,  1  Cor.  16 :  15— devoted ;  given  to. 

Affect,  Gal.  4 :  17— seek  to  win.. 

Aha,  Ps.  35:  21— "hurrah." 

Albeit,  Eze.  13  :  7— although  it  be. 

Allow,  Luke  11 :  48 — to  praise ;  to  approve. 

All  to  brake,  Judg.  9 :  53— brake  to  pieces. 

Amerce,  Deut.  22  :  19  -punish  by  fire. 

Ancients,  Isa.  47  :  6 — aged  persons.. 

Anon,  Matt.  13  :  20— quickly     at  once. 

Apothecary,  Ex.  30:25 — not  a  druggist, 
but  "a  maker  of  perfumes." 

Artillery,  1  Sam.  20: 40— bows;  arrows;  sling. 

Astonied,  Job  17  :  8— astonished. 

At  one,  Acts  7 :  26 — in  concord,  or  agree- 
ment. 

Attent,  2  Chron.  6 :  40— attentive. 

Avoid,  1  Sam.  18  :  11 — to  withdraw. 

Away  with,  Isa.  1 :  13 — bear  or  endure. 

Barbarian,  1  Cor.  14 :  11 — foreigner ;  not  a 
Greek. 

Beeves,  Lev.  22 :  21— (plural  of  beef)  oxen; 
cows. 

Bestead,  Isa.  8 :  21 — placed. 

Bewray,  Matt.  26 :  73 — expose ;  betray. 

Blains,  Ex.  9  :  9 — blisters  ;  pimples. 

Boiled,  Ex.  9 :  31— gone  to  seed. 

Bosses,  Job  15  :  26 — stud  ;  knob ;  buckle. 

Botch,  Deut.  28  :  27— swelling;  boil. 

Bravery,  Isa.  3  :  18 — fine  dress;  showy. 

Bray,  Prov.  27  :  22— to  beat ;  pound. 

Brigandine,  Jer.  46  :  4 — coat  of  armor. 

Bruit,  Jer.  10  :  22 — report;  fame. 

By,  1  Cor.  4  :  4 — against. 

By  and  by.  Matt.  13 :  21— at  once ;  immedi- 
ately. 

Calker,  Eze.  27 : 9— one  who  stops  leaks  of 
a  ship. 

Camphire,  Song  of  Sol.  1 :  14— refers  to 
cypress,  or  to  "  henna-flowers." 

Careful,  Phil.  4  :  6 — anxious. 

Carriage,  1  Saui.l7 :  22.— baggage ;  what  is 
carried 

Caul,  Isa.  3 :  18— network  for  the  head. 

Champaign,  Deut.  11 :  30 — level  place. 

Chapiter,  Ex.  36  :  38— capital  of  a  pillar. 

Chapmen,  2  Chron.  9:14 — traders;  mer- 
chants. 

Chapt,  Jer.  14 : 4 — cracked  open. 

Charger,  Matt.  14 :  8— large  dish. 

Charges,  to  be  at,  Acts  21 :  24— to  pay  ex- 
penses. 

Charity,  1  Cor.  13— love  to  God  and  man. 

Clouted,  Josh.  9  :  5 — patched. 

Cockle,  Job  31 :  40— refers  to  weed  in  grain. 

Collops,  Job  15 :  27— slices  of  fat. 

College,  2  Kings  22 :  14 — refers  to  "  second 
ward,"  or  por6. 

Comfort,  1  Thess.  4 :  18— to  strengthen. 

Compass,  Acts  28  13— to  make  a  circuit; 
surround. 

Concision,  Phil.  3 :  2— cutting  off. 

Confection,  Ex.  30 :  35 — compound  of  vari- 
ous things. 

Conscience,  Heb.  10 : 2— to  have  sense  of. 

Convenient,  Aots  24 :  25— seasonable ;  be- 
coming. 


Conversation — (never  means  "speech"  in 

Scripture)  but,  (1)  Phil.  1 :  27— behavior; 

(2)  Phil.  3 :  20— citizenship ;  (3)  Heb.  13: 

5— disposition. 
Countervail,  Esther  7:4 — to  compensate. 
Cracknels,  1  Kings  14:  3— brittle  cakes. 
Crisping  pins,  Isa.  3 :  22 — irons  for  curling 

the  hair. 
Cumber,  Luke  10 :  40 — to  burden  uselessly. 
Curious  arts.  Acts  19  :  19— magic. 
Damnation,  1  Cor.  11 :  29 — condemnation. 
Daysman,  Job  9  :  33 — umpire;  arbiter. 
Deal ,  Ex.  29  :  40 — portion ,  or  part. 
Delicates,  Jer.  51 :  34 — choice  dainties. 
Deputy,  1  Kings  22 ;  47 — deputed  to  rule. 
Disposition,  Acts  7  :  53 — ordering. 
Dote,  Jer.  50  :  36 — become  foolish. 
Do  you  to  wit,  2  Cor.  8 : 1— make  you  to 

know. 
Draught,  Matt.  15  :  17— drain. 
Draught  house,  2  Kings  10  :  27— cesspool. 
Ear,  to,  Isa.  30  :  24— to  plow. 
Earing,  Gen.  45  :  6— plowing. 
Earnest,  2  Cor.  1 :  22— a  pledge  or  token  of 

what  is  to  come. 
Emerods,  1  Sam.  5:6 — hemorrhoids;  piles. 
Enlarge,  2  Sara.  22  :  37— make  free. 
Ensample,  1  Cor.  10: 11 — example. 
Ensue,  1  Pet.  3  :  11— to  follow  and  overtake. 
Eschew,  1  Pet.  3: 11 — shun  ;  flee  from. 
Ex-changers, Matt. 25  27— bankers;brokevs. 
Exorcists,  Acts  19:13 — one  who  pretends 

to  cast  out  evil  spirits  by  magic. 
Eyeservice,  Eph.  6 :  6— work  done  when 

watched. 
Fain,  Luke  15: 16— glad;  gladly. 
Fats,  Joel  2  :  24— vats. 
Fenced,  Num.  32 :  17— walled  (cities). 
Flood,  Josh.  24  :  3 — Euphrates  river. 
Fray,  Deut.  28  :  26— scare  ;  frighten. 
Fritting,  Lev.  13 :  51— corroding ;  eating  as 

a  moth. 
Gainsay,  Luke  21 :  15 — disprove ;  contradict. 
Garner,  Matt.  8 :  12 — storehouse  for  grain. 
Gin,  Amos  3  :  5 — trap  or  snare. 
Glistering,    Luke  9  :  29— sparkling ;   glit- 
tering. 
Greaves,  1  Sam.  17 : 6— armor-plates  for  legs. 
Grudge,  Jas.  5 : 9 — grumble. 
Habergeon,  Job  41 :  26 — coat-of-mail. 
Haft,  Judg.  3:  22— handle  of  knife ;  dagger. 
Hale,  Luke  12  :58— forcibly  drag. 
Halt,  Luke  14 :  21— lame ;  crippled. 
Harness,  1  Kings  22 :  34 — body-armor  of  a 

soldier. 
Hoised,  Acts  27 :  40— hoisted. 
Hold,  Judg.  9  :  46 — stronghold  ;  prison. 
Honest,  Rom.  12: 17— honorable. 
Hosen,  Dan.  3 :  21— trowsers  and  stockings 

in  one  piece. 
Hough,  Josh.  11 :  6 — to  hamstring. 
Instant,  Rom.  12  :  12— pressing;  urgent. 
Instantly,  Acts  26  :  7 — earnestly ;  at  once. 
Jeopard,  Judg.  5 :  18— hazard,  or  risk  of  life. 
Kerchief,  Eze.l  3: 21 — covering  for  the  head. 
Kine,  1   Sam.   6  :  7 — cows;    milch-kine  = 

milking-cows. 
Knop,    Ex,    25  :  3.3— knob ;    a  bud-shaped 

carving. 


OBSOLETE  WORDS. 


Leasing,  Ps.  4:  2— lying ;  falsehood. 

Let,  2  Thess.  2  : 7— hinder;  prevent. 

Lewdness,  Acts  18  :  14 — wickedness ;  crime. 

Libertine,  Acts  6  :  9 — child  of  a  freed  slave. 

Listetb,  John  3 :  8— desireth  ;  wills  ;  choos- 
eth  ;  like 

Lust,  Ex.  lb  :  9— desire  of  any  kind. 

Lusty,    Judg.    3  :  29— healthy  ;    vigorous; 
strong. 

Magnitical,  1  Qiron.22 :5— grand;  magnifi- 
cent. 

Marishes,  Eze.  47  :  11— marshes ;  swampy 
ground. 

Maw,  Deut.  18 :  3— stomach. 

Meat, Gen.  1 :  29— any  kind  of  food. 

Meet,  Matt.  3:  8— suitable  ;  fitting. 

Mete,  Matt.  7:  2— measure. 

Meteyard,    Lev.    19  :  35 — measuring-rod; 
yard  measure. 

Mincing.  Isa.  3:16— walking  with  short 
ste))S. 

Minish,  Ex.  5:  19— diminish;  lessen. 

Minister,  Luke  4:  20— attendant ;  helper. 

Munition,  Nah.  2:1 — fortifications;  ram- 
parts. 

Murrain,  Ex.  9 :  3— cattle-plague. 

Naught,  Prov.  20  :  14— bad  ;  worthless. 

Neesings,  Job  41 :  18 — old  form  of  "sneez- 
ing." 

Nephew,  1  Tim.  5 :  4— grandchild. 

Nether,  Deut.  24  : 6— lower. 

Noisome,  Ps.  91 :  3 — noxious ;  hurtful. 

Occupy,  Luke  19  : 1.3— trade  with. 

Offence,  Rom    9 :  33 — that  against  which 
one  stumbles. 

Ofifend,  Matt.  18 :  9— stumble  against ;  cause 
to  stumble. 

Or  ever,  Dan.  6 :  24 — before. 

Ouches,   Ex.  28  :  11— sockets  (of  gold  or 
silver). 

Outlandish,  Neh.  13 :  26— foreign ;  strange. 

Painful,  Ps.  73  :  16— hard  to  do. 

Painfulness,2  Cor.  11 :  27— painstaking. 

Peeled,  Isa.  18:2,  7— robbed  ;  plundered. 

Pilled,  Gen.  30 :  37,  38— peel ;  strip  oflT  bark. 

Poll,  to,  2  Sam.  14 :  26— lop ;  cut  off,  i?sp.  hair. 

Pommel,  2  Chron.  4  :  12— globes;  apple- 
shaped. 

Potsherd,  Ps.  22 :  15— fragment  of  broken 
pottery. 

Pressfat,  Hag.  2 :  16— vat  to  receive  grape- 
juice  from  the  winepress. 

Prevent,   1    Thess.  4  :  15 — come   before ; 
precede. 

Proper,  Heb.  11 :  23 — fair;  handsome. 

Provoke,  2  Cor.  9  : 2— stimulate ;  challenge 
to  action. 

Publican,  Luke  5:27 — collector  of  public 
revenue. 

Quirk,  Ps.  124 :  3— living ;  lively. 

Quicken,  Ps.  71 :  20 — make  alive. 

Quit,  1  Cor.  16  :  13— acquit ;  act. 

Ravening,  Luke    11 :  39 — greediness  ;    ra- 
pacity. 

Ravin,  raven,  Gen.  49  :  27 — plunder;  cap- 
ture ;  spoil. 

Reins,  Ps.  7  :  9— kidneys,  hence  emotions ; 
afTectdons. 

Rereward,  Isa.  52 :  12 ;  58 :  8 — rear-guard. 

Ringstraked,  Gen.  30  :  35— marked    with 
circular  bands  or  rings. 

Savour,  Matt.  16 :  23— taste ;  relish ;  relisli 
in  mind. 
224 


Scrabbled,  1  Sam.  21 :  13— scrawled ;  made 
unmeaning  marks. 

Scrip,  Luke  22 :  36— small  bag  or  wallet. 

Seethe,  Ex.  16 :  23— boil ;  ijerj.  "  sod,"  part. 
"sodden." 

Servitor,  2  Kgs.  4 :  43— !=ervant  or  attendant. 

Sherd,  Isa.  30 :  14— fragment ;  shred,  as  of 
pottery. 

Shroud,  Eze.  31 :  3— shelter ;  covering,  as 
of  a  tree. 

Silverling,  Isa.  7  :  23— small  silver  coin. 

Sith,  Ez*^.  .35 :  6 — since ;  forasmuch  as. 

Sod,  sodden,  Ex.  12 : 9 — boiled ;  from  the 
verb  "seethe." 

Sojourn,  Gen.  12 :  10— to  dwell  temporarily 

Sometimes,  Eph.  2  :  13 — once ;  formerly. 

Speed,  Gen.  24 :  \2—suhst.  success. 

Steads,  1  Chron .  5  :  22— (Sax.  stede)  places. 

Straightway,  Luke  5 :  39 — immediately ;  at 
once. 

Strain  at.  Matt.  23:24 — as  in  swallowing, 
(probably  a  misprint  for  "strain  out.") 

Straitly,  Mark  1 :  4 — strictly  ;  closely. 

Straituess,  Jer.  19  :  9— scarcity  of  food  ; 
famine. 

Strake,  Gen.  30 :37 — a  streak. 

Strake,  Acts  27: 17— past  tense  of  the  verb 
to  "  strike." 

Strawed,  Matt.  21 : 8 — strewed  or  scattered. 

Sundry,  Heb.  1 : 1— several ;  various. 

Tabering,  Nah.  2:7— beating,  as  on  a  ta- 
ber-drum. 

Taches,  Ex.  26 : 6— catches  or  clasps ;  any 
fastening. 

Tale,  Ex.  6  :  8,  18— reckoning;  appointed 
number. 

Target,  1  Sara.  17 : 6— light  shield ;  buckler. 

Temperance,  Gal.  5  :  23— moderation ;  se- 
dateness;  self-control. 

Tempt,  Gen.  22: 1— test;  try. 

Tliought,  Matt.  6 : 2-5 — worrv;  anxious  care. 

Tired,  2  Kings  9 :  30  ;  Isa.  3 :  18— adorned, 
as  the  head. 

Trow,  Luke  17:9— think;  imagine;  sup- 
pose. 

Turtle,  Sol,  Song  2 :  12— a  dove ;  the  turtle- 
dove. 

Twain,  Tsa.  6 : 2— two. 

Undergird,  Acts  27 :  17— pass  ropes  round 
hull  of  a  ship. 

Undersetter,  1  Kings  7  :  30, 34 — prop ;  sup- 
port. 

Vile,  Jas.  2  :  2— plain  ;  poor. 

Ware,  Acts  14:  6 — aware ;  to  know. 

Wax,  Luke  1 :  80 — grow  or  become. 

Wench,  2  Sam.  17  :  17 — maid-servant. 

Whit,  2  Cor.  11 : 5— (Sax.  wihl)  a  bit ;  atom. 

Wimple,  Isa.  3 :  22— veil ;  covering  of  head 
and  neck. 

Winefat — wine  vat. 

Wist,  Mark  14:  40— (Sax.  wiste)  knew. 

Wit,  to,  2  Cor.  8  : 1— (Sax.  ivitan)  to  know. 

Withs,  Judg.  16 :  7 — young  twigs  of  a  wil- 
low ;  osier. 

Witlial,  Acts  25 :  27— with  the  same ;  there- 
with. 

Wittingly,  Gen.  48  :  14— intentionally ; 
knowingly. 

Woe  worth ,  Eze.  30 : 2 — woe  be  or  become. 

Wont,  Matt.  27 :  15— accustomed. 

Wot,  Gen.  39 :  8 ;  Ex;  32  : 1— know. 

Wreathen.  Ex.  28:14 — twisted;  turned; 
"  wreathen  work." 


CONCISE  CHRONOLOGICAL  TABLE  OF  BIBLE  HISTOEY. 
Compiled  by  REV.  EDWIN  W.  RICE,  D.D. 


Note.— Most  of  the  dates  in  Bible  History,  before  the  dedication  of  Solomon's  temple, 
are  very  uncertain.  There  are  two  chief  systems  of  chronology :  one  based  upon  the 
Hebrew  text  of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  other  upon  the  Septuagint,  or  Gredk  text, 
and  called  the  "short"  and  the  "long"  chronology.  The  dates  in  the  margin  ol  our 
English  Bibles  were  computed  by  Archbishop  Ussher  (born  1580,  died  1656),  and  based 
on  the  Hebrew  or  short  chronology.  Hales  made  a  similar  computation,  based  on  the 
Greek  text.  The  Septuagint  text  appears  to  make  the  patriarchal  period  1466  years 
longer  than  the  computations  based  on  the  Hebrew  text.  The  following  table  shows 
the  different  dates  according  to  Ussher  and  to  Hales : 

B.C.  Events. 

536    First  return  of  Jews— Zerub- 
babel. 
516-5    Second  temple  completed. 

478    Esther  made  queen  by  Xerxes  I. 

457    Return   of  Jews  (second  com- 
pany) with  Ezra. 

444    Nehemiah  appointed  governor. 
Malaclii,  prophet. 

432    Nehemiah  again    governor  at 
Jerusalem. 

425    Death  of  A rtaxerxes,  Xerxes  II. 
(2  months). 
Sogdianus,    his    half    brother 
(7  months). 

424    Darius  II.  (Nothus,  king). 

End  of  Old  Testament  history. 

CHRONOLOGY  BETWEEN  THE  OLD 
AND   NEW  TESTAMENTS. 


il 

i 

EVESTS. 

p| 

B.C. 

B.C. 

4004 

5411 

Adam. 

3874 

5181 

Birth  of  Seth. 

3382 

4289 

"      "  Enoch. 

3317 

4124 

"      "  Methuselah. 

2948 

3755 

"      "  Noah. 

2348 

3155 

The  Flood, 

2233 

2554 

Confusion  of  tongues. 

2155 

2362 

Birth  of  Nahor. 

2126 

2283 

"      "  Terah. 

1996 

2153 

"       "  Abram. 

1896 

2053 

"      "  Isaac. 

1836 

1993 

"      "  Jacob. 

1706 

1863 

Jacob  moves  to  Egypt. 

1571 

1728 

Birth  of  Moses. 

1491 

1648 

The  Exodus. 1 

1451 

1608 

Canaan  entered. 

[iThe  latest  coiiolnisions  of  archaeology 
now  tend  to  place  the  Exodus  at  an  earlier 
date  than  heretofore,  moving  near  the 
date  assigned  in  the  Ussher  Chronology. 


The  bondage  in  Egypt  was  about  400 
years,  according  to  Acts  7:6;  or  about  430 
yeais  from  Abraham  or  Jacob  to  the  giv- 
ing of  the  law,  according  to  Gal.  3:17. 
The  latest  conclusions  from  Egyptian  and 
Assyrian  records  are  in  substantial  accord 
with  these  passages.] 

B.C.  Events. 

1280    Settlement   in    Canaan    under 
Joshua. 
1258-1095    The    Judges— to    Samuel    and 
Saul. 
1095    Saul. 
1055    David. 

1007    Solomon's  Temple.  (For  table  of 
kings  of  Judah  and  Israel,  and 
of  prophets,  see  next  page.) 
722-721    Fall  of  Samaria. 

606    Assyrian  captivity  began. 
588-7    Jerusalem  destroyed. 


405 
359 
351-331 
339 
336 
332 
323 
320 
314 
311 
301 
280 

205 
170 

167 

165 

141 

63 
54 
47 

40 
37 

17 

3 


Artaxerxes  II.  (Mnemon). 

Artaxerxes  III.  (Ochus) 

Jaddua  high  priest  at  J. 

Arses  (king). 

Darius  III.  (Codomannus). 

Alexander  the  Great. 

Alexander's  death. 

Palestine  under  Ptolemy  Soter. 
"  "       Antigonus. 

(Era  of  the  Seleuoidae.) 

Palestine  under  Ptolemies. 

Hebrew  O.  T.  translated  into 
Greek  about  this  time. 

Palestine  under  Antiochus. 

Temple  plundered  by  Antio- 
chus Epiphanes. 

Mattathias,  the  Jewish  patriot; 
father  of  the  Maccabaeans. 

Judas  Maccabseus  recovers  Je- 
rusalem. 

Simon  Maccabaeus  frees  the 
Jews. 

Pompey  conquers  Judaea. 

Temple  plundered  by  Crassus. 

Antipater  made  governor  of 
Judaea  by  Caesar. 

Parthians  capture  Jerusalem. 

Herrd  retakes  Jerusalem. 

Herod  begins  to  rebuild  the 
temple. 

Birth  of  Christ.  (The  common 
Christian  era  was  fixed  four 
years  too  late.) 


TABLE  OF  KINGS  AND  PROPHETS  IN  ISRAEL  AND  JUDAH. 

(THE 

DATES  APPLY  TO  THE   KINGS.) 

IN    THE    UNITED    KINGDOM. 

Prophets. 

K.N.S. 

Time  of  Reiwn. 

Samuel. 

1095 

Saul, 

Reigned  40  years. 

Gad. 

1055 

David,         .... 

Reigned  40  years. 

Nathan. 

1015 

Solomon,    .... 

Reigned  40  j-ears. 

IN    THE    DIVIDED    KINGDOM. 

JUDAH. 

ISRAEL.                               1 

55 

C.I 

^ 

s  .• 

is 

KixfJS. 

11 

Pkophets. 

<  -■ 

Kings. 

s  s 

Prophets. 

-~  fo 

K^ 

0 

975 

Rehoboam, .     , 

17 

Shemaiah. 

975 

Jeroboam,  .    . 

22 

Ahijah. 

958 

Abijah,    .     .     . 

3 

Iddo. 

955 

Asa,     .... 

41 

Oded. 

Azariah. 

954 

Nadab,    .    .    . 

2 

Hanani. 

9.-,:-; 
930 
929 
929 

Baasha,  .    .    . 

Elah 

Zimri,      .    .    . 
Omri,  .... 

24 

•2 

7dys. 

12 

918 

Ahab, .    .    .    . 

22 

Elijah. 

914 

Jehoshaphat,  . 

25 

Jehu. 

Micaiah. 

898 

Ahaziah,     .    . 

2 

Elisha. 

Jahaziel. 

896 

Joram,     ,    .    . 

12 

892 

Jehoram,     .    . 

8 

Eliezer. 

885 

Ahaziah,      .     . 

1 

884 

Athaliah,    .    . 

6 

884 

Jehu 

28 

878 

Jehoash,      .    . 

40 

Zechariah, 

856 

Jehoahaz,    .    . 

17 

Jonah.  [?] 

son   of  Je- 

841 

Joash,     .    .    . 

16 

839 

Amaziah,    .    . 

29 

hoiada. 

825 

Jeroboam  II.,  . 

41 

Hosea. 

810 

Uzziah,  .    .    . 

52 

Zechariah, 

Amos. 

2Chr.26:5. 

784 
773 
772 
772 
761 
759 

Interregnum,    . 
Zachariah,  ,    . 
Shallum,      .    , 
Menahem,  .    . 
Pekahiah,  .    . 
Pekah,    .    .    . 

11 
6  mo. 
1  mo. 

10 
2 

20 

758 

Jotham,  .    .    . 

16 

Isaiah. 

742 

Ahaz,  .... 

16 

Micah. 

739 

Anarchy,      .     . 

9 

Oded. 

730 

Hoshea,  .    .    . 

9 

726 

Hezekiah,   .    . 

29 

Nahum. 

721 

The     kingdom 

698 

Manasseh,  .    . 

55 

Joel. 

of  Israel  over- 

643 

Anion,     .    .    . 

2 

thrown  by  the 

641 

Josiah,    .    .     . 

31 

Jeremiah. 

Assyrians  and 

610 

Jehoahaz,    .    . 

3raos. 

Ilabakkuk. 

Samaria     de- 

610 

Jehoiakim,.     . 

11 

Zephaniah. 

stroyed. 

599 

Jehoiachin,     . 

100  days. 

Ezekiel. 
Daniel. 

599 

Zedekiah,    ,    . 

n 

Obadiab.  [?] 

Persian  King.t,  after 

588 

Jerusalem  de- 
stroyed. 

Governor.^  after 
the  C(i]>tivUy. 

the  Captivity. 
.'S.SB  First  year  of  Cyrus. 
529  Cambyses. 
521  Darius  livstaspes. 
486  Xerxes  I. 

536 

Zerubbabel,     . 

Haggai. 

478  Esther  Queen. 

457 

Ezra 

Zechariah. 

465  Artaxerxes-Longimauus. 

445 

Kehemiah,.    . 

Malachi. 

424  Darius  Nothus. 

i 

Contemporary  with  Rehoboam  was  Sesonchis  of  the  22d  dynasty  in  Egypt ;  with 

.Tehoshaphat,  Mesha  king  of  Moab,  and  Eth-baal  king  of  Tyre  ;  and  with  Athaliah, 

Dido,  who  founded  Carthage.    During  Uzziah's  long  reign  the  First  Olympiad  takes 

its  rise ;  and  Rome  was  founded  (753)  in  the  reign  of  Jotham. 

226                                           - 

CHRONOLOGY  OF  THE  NEW  TESTAMENT. 


B.C. 

A.D. 

6 

Birth  of  Jesus. 

40    £ 

I  (April) 

Death  of  Herod. 

[For  Events  in  Life  of  Christ, 

44    . 

A.D. 

see  Jesus  Christ,  p.  124.] 

45    ] 

8 

Jesus  among  the  doctors. 
Baptism  of  Jesus. 

51     ] 

27 

53    ] 

28 

Ministry  in  Judaea  and  Galilee. 

Sermon  on  the  mount. 

54    1 

29 

Baptist  beheaded. 
Five  thousand  fed. 

56-8    1 

Tour  to  borders   of   Tvie    and 

58    ] 

Sidon. 

60    1 

The  transfiguration. 
Feast  of  dedication. 

61     ] 

] 

Part  of  Penean  ministry. 

61-63    ] 

30 

Lazarus  raised  to  life. 

Perajan  ministry. 

63    ] 

April  1 

Supper  at  Bethany. 

64-67    ] 

"      2 

Triumphalentry  into  Jerusalem. 

"     6 

Last  supper  and  Gethsemane. 

"     7 

Crucifixion. 

67    ] 

"      9 

Resurrection  of  Jesus. 

70    c 

May  18 

Ascension  of  Jesus. 

80-95    . 

37 

Death  of  Stephen. 

65-95    . 

Conversion  of  Saul. 

98-100    ] 

Saul's  escape  from  Jerusalem. 
[For  table,  see  Paul,  p.  173.] 

James  of  Zebedee  behe.ded. 

Paul's  first  missionary  tour. 

Paul's  second  missionary  tour. 

Epistles  to  Thessalonians,  from 
Corinth. 

Paul's  third  missionary  tour. 

Epistles  to  the  Galatians,  Corin- 
thians^ and  Homans. 

Paul  before  Felix. 

Paul  sent  to  Home. 

Paul  arrives  at  Rome. 

Epistle  of  James  (?). 

Epistles  to  Ephesians,  Colossians, 
Philemon,  and  Philippians. 

Paul  supposed  to  be  set  free. 

Epistles  to  Hebrews,  1st  and  2d 
Peter,  Jude,  1st  and  2d  Timothy, 
and  Titus. 

Paul's  martyrdom  (?). 

Jerusalem  destroyed  by  Titus. 

John^s  Gospel. 

Revelation  of  St.  John. 

Death  of  John. 


NAMES,  TITLES  AND  OFFICES  OF  CHRIST. 


Advocate,  1  .John  2  : 1.    Almighty,  Rev.  1 :  8. 

Alpha  and  Omega,  Rev.  1:8;  22: 13. 

Amen,  Rev.  3  :  14. 

Anointed,  Ps.  2:2;  Acts  4 :  26. 

Apostle,  Heb.  3  : 1, 

Author  and  Finisher  of  our  faith,  Heb.  12 :  2. 

Beginning  of  the  creation  of  God,  Rev.  3 :  14. 

Beloved  Sun,  Matt.  17  :  5. 

Blessed  and  only  Potentate,  1  Tim.  6  :  15. 

Branch,  Zech.  3:8;  6  :  12. 

Bread  of  life,  John  6  :  35. 

Bridegroom,  ]\Iatt.  9  :  15. 

Captain  of  salvation,  Heb.  2 :  10. 

Corner-stone,  1  Pet.  2  :  6. 

Danid,  Jer.  30  :  9  ;  Eze.  34 :  23 ;  Hos.  3  :  5. 

Day-spring,  Lk.  1 :  78.    Day-star,  2  Pet.  1:19. 

Deliverer,  Rom.  11 :  26. 

Desire  of  all  nations,  Hag  2 :  7. 

Emmanuel,  Isa.  7  :  14 ;  Matt.  1 :  23. 

Everlasting  Father,  Isa.  9 :  6. 

Faithful  Witness,  Rev.  1 :  5 ;  3  :  14. 

First  and  Last,  Rev.  1 :  17. 

First  begotten  of  the  dead,  Rev.  1 :  5. 

God,  Isa.  40 : 9 ;  John  20  :  28 ;  1  John  5  :  20. 

Good  Shepherd,  John  10  :  11. 

Governor,  Matt.  2 :  6. 

Great  High  Priest,  Heb.  4 :  14. 

/ro/?//)«e,Luke4:34;  Acts3:14;  Rev.  3:  7. 

Horn  of  solvation,  Luke  1 :  69. 

/  A  M,  Ex.  3 :  14,  with  John  8 :  58. 

In)  age  of  God,  2  Cor.  4  :  4. 

Intercessor,  Heb.  7 :  25.    Jehovah,  Isa.  26  :  4. 

Jesus,  Matt.  1 :  21 ;  1  Thess.  1 :  10. 

J'/f/^e,  Actsl7:31. 

King,  everlasting,  Luke  1  :  33. 

King  of  kings,  Rev.  17 ;  14 ;  19 :  16. 

Lamb  of  God,  John  1 :  29,  36. 

Laicgiver,  James  4 :  12. 

Light  of  the  ivorld,  John  8  :  12. 

Light,  T)-ue,  John  1 :  8, 9 ;  3  :  19 ;  8  :  12  ;  9:5. 

lAon  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  Rev.  5 :  5. 

lAving  bread,  John  6  :  31. 

Living  stone,  1  Pet.  2  ;  4. 


Lord,  Matt.  3:3;  Mark  11  1 3. 

Lord  God,  Rev.  15  :  3  ;  22  :  6. 

Zord  of  all,  Acts  10 :  36 ;  of  glory,  1  Cor.  2 :  8. 

Lord  of  lords,  Rev.  17  :  14 ;  19  :  16. 

Lord  our  righteousness,  Jer.  23  :  6. 

Maker  and  Preserver  of  all  things,  John  1  :  3, 

10 ;  Col.  1 :  16 ;  Heb.  1 : 2, 10  ;  Rev.  4 :  11. 
3fediator,  1  Tim.  2  :  5. 
Mediator  of  the  new  cove7iant,  Heb.  12  :  24. 
Messiah,  Dan.  9 :  25  ;  John  1 :  41. 
Mighty  One  of  Jacob,  Isa.  60 :  16. 
3Iorning  star.  Rev.  22 :  16. 
Nazarene,  Matt.  2  :  23. 
Our  Passover,  1  Cor.  5  :  7. 
Priest,  High,  Heb.  3:1. 
Prince,  Acts  5  31.  Prince  of  life,  Acts  3 :  15. 
PHnce  of  peace,  Isa.  9  :  6. 
Prince  of  the  kinqs  of  the  earth.  Rev.  1 :  5. 
Prophet,  Deut.  18  :  15 ;  Luke  24  :  19. 
Redeemer,  Job  19  :  25  ;  Isa.  59  :  20. 
Resurrection  and  life,  John  11;  25. 
Rock,  1  Cor.  10 : 4, 

Root  and  offspring  of  David,  Rev.  22  :  16. 
Root  of  David,  Rey.  5  : 5. 
Ruler  of  Israel,  Micah  5  :  2. 
Same  yesterday,  to-day,  etc.,  Heb.  13  : 8. 
Saviour,  Luke  2:11;  Acts  5  :  31, 
Shepherd  and  Bishop  of  souls,  1  Pet.  2 ;  25. 
Shepherd  in  the  land,  Zech.  11 :  16. 
Shepherd  of  the  sheep.  Great,  Heb.  13 :  20. 
Shiloh,  Gen.  49  :  10. 
Son  of  David,  Matt.  9  :  27  ;  21 :  9. 
Son  of  God,  Luke  1 :  35  ;  Matt.  3 :  17 ;  8 :  29. 
Son  of  man,  Matt.  8 :  20 ;  John  1 :  51. 
Son  of  the  Highest,  Luke  1  :  32. 
Son,  Only-begotten,  John  1 :  14,  18;  3 :  16, 18. 
Sun  of  righteousness,  Mai.  4 :  2. 
True  Vine,  John  15: 1. 
Way,  Truth,  and  Life,  John  14 :  6. 
Witness,  Faithful  and  true,  Rev.  3  :  14. 
Wonderful,  Counsellor,  Mighty  God,  Isa.  9  :  6. 
Tforrf,  John  1:1. 
Word  of  God,  Rev.  19 :  13. 

227 


JOURNEYINGS  OF  ISRAEL  FROM  EGYPT  TO  CANAAN. 

By  rev.  EDWIN  W.  RICE,  D.I). 


Stations.  Modern  names.  Events.  Recorded  in. 

1.  Rameses, Tel  el  KeMr  {1),     .    Startiug  for  Canaan,      ,  Num.  33:  3,5. 

2.  Suceolh  or  Pithoni,       .     Tel  el  Maskhuta,   .    First  camping-place,      .  Ex.  12  :  37. 

3.  Etham, Wady  Tumeilat,    .    Pillar  of  lire  and  cloud,  Ex.  13: 20. 

4.  Pi-hahiroth,    ....    Near  Ismaileh,  .    .    Pursued  by  Pharaoh,     .  Ex.  14:29. 

5.  Red  Sea  (crossed), Egyptians  drowned,  .    .  Ex.  14:21-31. 

6.  Marah, Ain  Howarah  {?),  .    Bitter  water  made  sweet,  Ex.  15:23. 

7.  Elim, Wady  Gharandel, .     12  wells  of  water.  .    .    .  Ex.  15  :  27. 

8.  By  Red  Sea  (east  side),    liieair  Wady  Feiran, Num.  33: 10. 

9.  Wilderness  of  Sin,  .    .    el  Markha,    .    .    .    Quails  and  manna,     .    .  Ex.  16 : 1-36. 

10.  Dophkah, In  Wady  Feiran, Num.  33:12. 

11.  Alush, In  Wady  Feiran, Num.  33:13.     . 

12.  Rephidim  (Massah  and )  T„  T,-  , ,  El, .  „^       f  Water  from  a  rock,    .    .Itt^  17.1  ic      * 

Meribah),     .    .    .    .  j  ^'^  "^^2^  ^^"^«"'  •  j  Battle  with  Amelek,  .    .  |  Ex.  17 : 1-16. 

13.  Sinai, Ras-sufsafeh,    .    .    The  law  given,  ....  Ex.  19  to  40. 

14.  Taberah   ("burning"), Slain  by  fire,      ....  Num.  11 :  3. 

15.  Kibroth-hattavah  ("graves  of  lusting"),    .    Smitten  with  plague,     .  Num.  11:30-34. 

16.  Hazeroth  (Rithmah),   .    Ain  Hudhera,    .    .    Leprosy  of  Miriam,  .    .  Num.  12:1-16. 

17.  Wilderness  Paran,  .     .    et  Tih, Num.  12:16. 

18.  Kadesh  Barnea,  .    .    .    Ain  Qadis  (?),    .    .    12  spies  sent, Num.  13  to  19. 

19.  Forty  years' wandering, f  People  rebel;  14,700  die; 

xa.  xuxi,j  jr^o,  o  »a,uvx.=iiug,  \  Korah  and  his  company  slain. 

[The  unbelief  of  the  Israelites  causes  Jehovah  to  cundemn  them  to  wander  tor  forty  years 
in  the  wilderness.  During  this  period  they  had  their  head-quarters  or  encampments  at  the 
following  seventeen  places,  and  then  reassembled  at  Kadesh  for  a  final  departure  from  the 
wilderness  to  enter  Canaan.  ] 

20.  Rimmon-perez,    .    .    .    Probably  et  Tih, Num.  33 :  19. 

21.Libnah, VvohsAAj  el  Beyaneh, Num.  33:20. 

22.  Rissah, Rasa, Num.  33:21. 

23.  Kehelathah,     ....(?) Num.  33:22. 

24.  Mt.  Shepher,    ....    Jebel  Sheraph, Num.  33 :  23. 

25.  Haradah, Aradeh Num.  33:24. 

26.  Makheloth, (?) Num.  33 :  25. 

27.  Tahath, Elthi  (?), Num.  33 :  26. 

28.  Terah, (?) Num.  33:27. 

29.  Mithkah, (?) Num.  33:28. 

30.  Hashmonah,    ....    Heshmon  (?)  ^ira  .ffocA, Num.  33:29. 

31.  Moseroth, West  of  Arabah, Nura  33:30. 

32.  Bene-jaakan,    ....(?) Num.  33:31. 

33.  Hor-hagidgad,      .    .    .    f?) Num.  33:32. 

34.  Jotbathah, WadyTabah(^, Num.  33 :  33,  34 ;  Deut.  10 : 7. 

35.  Ebronah, On  Elanitic  Gulf, Num.  33:34. 

36.  Ezion-geber,     ....    Head  of  Elanitic  Gulf Num.  33 :  35. 

37.  Kadesh  (Wilderness  of)    . .    ^^  ,.   /,x  J  Miriam  dies;  water  from  \  Num.  20 : 1-13; 

Zin), "^ Am  Qadis  {!),   .    •  j rock,  Meribah,  .    .    .    ./     33:36. 

38.  Mt.  Hor, (?) Aaron  dies.  Num.  20 .23-29;  Deut.  33:50. 

39.  Zalmonah, Alem-^naan  (?),      .    Fiery  serpents, .    .     Num.  21 :7  ;  33:41. 

40.  Punon, Anezeh  {>), Num.  33 :  42. 

41.  Oboth, el-Alsa, Num.  21 :  11 ;  33  :  4:^  44. 

42.  Ije-abarim, East  of  Moab, Num.  21 :  11;  33:45. 

43.  Dibon-gad  (in  Zared),  .  Dhiban, Num.  33 :  45. 

44.  Almon-diblathaim,  .    .  (?) Amorites  defeated,     Num.  21: 13;  33:46. 

45.  Nebo, Mts.  of  Moab, Num.  33 :  47. 

46.  Plains  of  Moab,   .    .    .  Valley  of  Jordan.    Balaam's  prophecy,   .    .    Num.  22  to  24. 

47.  Shittim, Valley  of  Jordan.    24,000  die  of  plague,  .    .    Num.  25 : 9. 

(People  numbered;  law  repeated;)  t^„^   oc+^qr. 

48.  Moab,  Plains  of, ■{  Reuben  and  Gad's  land  east  of  Jor-  V  ^"™-  .v^^o,   ' 

(dan  ;  Moses  dies;  Joshua,  leader,]  ^^"^-  ^  ^^  ^^• 

49.  Jordan  (crossed),      .    .    Near  Jericho,  .    .    Waters  divided,     .    .    .    Josh.  3:1-17. 

50.  Gilgal, Near  Jericho,  .    .    Circumcision  renewed,  .    Josh.  5 :  2-9. 

51.  Jericho,  Fall  of, Rahab  saved,     ....    Josh.  8  : 1-27. 

52.  Ai,  Defeat  at, Achan's  sin, Josh.  7  : 1-26. 

53.  Ai  taken, 12,000  slain, Josh.  8 : 1-29. 

54  Shpphem  f  Altar  built;  law  read;  blessings  and)  j    y^   «  .  ^n_q«; 

54.&nechem 1  cursings  from  Ebal  and  Gerizim,    .    .|  Josh.  8  .30-35. 

55.  Gilgal,  Return  to, [Gibeonites  craft  and  punishment.    Josh.  9: 1-27. 

56.  Gibeou  rescued,   .    .    .    [Sun  and  moon  stand  still;  five  kings  slain,    Josh.  10  : 1-27. 

57.  Makkedah,  Libnah  and  Lachish  destroyed Josh.  10: 28,29, 33. 

58.  Eglon,  Hebron,  and  Debir  taken, Josh.  10:  34-40. 

59.  Gilgal,  Return  again  to, [Southern  Canaan  conquered.  Josh.  10:  40-43. 

60.  Merom,    . [Great  battle;  northern  Canaan  conquered.    Josh.  11 : 1-23. 

61.  Shiloh, [Tabernacle  set  up;  land  divided  and  settled,    Josh.  12  to  18. 

228 


Theological   Seminary-Speer  Libr; 


1    1012  01124  4326 


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majoritv  of  woi-shippers  in  the  sanctuary  and  the 
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many  congregations  if  they  w-ere  allowed  to  make 
a  selection.— T/te  Christian  Intelligencer,  New  York. 

The  book  contains  the  choicest  sacred  poetry  and 
melody.— r/ie  Christian  Advocate,  Pittsburgh. 

It  is  what  is  wanted  in  poor  churches.  The  great 
hymn-books  of  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  hymns 
and  one  to  three  dollars  are  keeping  the  common 
people  from  singing.— 1>.  L.  Moody. 


People's 
Hymn-book. 

r  20  cents. 
Board  Covers  <  15     "     by  the  100. 
[ld}4"         "       250. 

Postage  exira,  5  cents. 
Cloth  Covers 


r  25  cents. 
rs  ■]  20     "     by 
(18     "         " 

Postage  extra,  3  cents 


the  lOf. 
250. 


Index  to  the 

Holy  Bible. 


Cloth.    12mo.    94  pages. 


It  contains  also  a  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  List 
and  Index  of  Parables,  Miracles  and  Discourses  of 
our  Lord,  Chronologies,  &c.,  &c. 
Price  only  15  cents ;  by  the  dozen  123^  cents  each. 
Postage,  3  cents  per  copy. 


By  SAMUEL  B.  SCHIEFFELIN. 

Author  of  "  People's  Hymn-book  : "  "  The  Founda- 
tions of  History,  a  Series  of  First  Things ; "  "  Milk 
for  Babes ; "  "  Children's  Bread ;  "  etc. 

Price,  single  copy,  5  cents ;  by  100,  3  cents  per  copy. 

Postage,  1  cent  extra  per  copy. 

To  ministers,  and  students  for  the  ministrj-,  free. 


WORDS  to  CHRISTIAN  TEACHERS 

AND 

STUDENTS  EOR  THE  MINISTRY. 

18mo.    77  pages.    Paper  cover. 


Chrisf's  Testimony 
to  the  Scriptures. 


Rev.  EoBT.  Patterson,  D.D. 
35  pages. 


Bound  in  One  Volume. 

72  pages. 
Price,  single  copy,  5  cents ; 


by  100,  3  cents  per  copy 
Postage  1  cent  extra  per 

copy. 
To  ministers,  and  students 

for  the  ministry,  free. 


CHRIST  and  the 

SCRIPTURES. 

{First  Three  Chapters.) 

By  Rev.  Adolph  Saphir, 
D.  D.,  B.  A. 

37  pages. 


The  American  Sunday=School  Union, 

1133  CHESTNUT  STREET,  PHILADELPHIA. 


